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. 2023 Dec 26:2023:8832166.
doi: 10.1155/2023/8832166. eCollection 2023.

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Reproductive Stage Withania somnifera Leaf and Stem on HepG2 Cell Line

Lali Lingfa  1 , Aravinda Tirumala  2 , Srinivas Ankanagari  1
Affiliations

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Reproductive Stage Withania somnifera Leaf and Stem on HepG2 Cell Line

Lali Lingfa et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. .

Abstract

Background: The ayurvedic plant Withania somnifera, a member of the Solanaceae family, has been used as a remedy for diverse health problems, including cancer.

Objectives: The objective of this investigation was to conduct a comparative analysis of the in vitro cytotoxic properties of methanolic extracts derived from the leaf, stem, and root of W. somnifera on HepG2 and L929 cell lines.

Methods: Methanolic extracts were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method. To assess the in vitro anticancer action on the HepG2 and L929 cell lines, an MTT assay was performed. Changes in cell morphology were observed using an inverted microscope.

Results: The MTT assay results indicated that the leaf, stem, and root methanolic extracts of W. somnifera showed significantly higher in vitro cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells, with IC50 values of 43.06 ± 0.615, 45.60 ± 0.3, and 314.4 ± 0.795 μg/mL than in L929 cell lines with 78.77 ± 0.795, 90.55 ± 0.800, and 361.70 ± 0.795 μg/mL, respectively. The leaf methanolic extract was the most effective, followed by the stem methanolic extract in the HepG2 cell line.

Conclusion: The results of our study have confirmed that the methanolic extracts of both the leaf and stem of W. somnifera exhibit significant in vitro cytotoxicity in HepG2 cell lines, while displaying no significant cytotoxicity in the L929 cell line. Furthermore, the data obtained from the MTT assay indicate that the leaf methanolic extract possesses a more potent cytotoxic activity than the stem methanolic extract with respect to the HepG2 cell line. Further studies on the identification and isolation of bioactive metabolites are required to explore the mechanisms underlying their in vitro cytotoxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Microplate layout of HepG2 and L929 cell lines treated with 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 μg/mL of leaf, stem, and root methanolic extracts prepared from W. somnifera.
Figure 2
Figure 2
In vitro morphological profile of HepG2 cell observed under an inverted microscope at various concentrations compared to the controls (without the test sample and with the standard drug doxorubicin), after 24 hours of treatment with W. somnifera leaf, stem, and root methanolic extracts.
Figure 3
Figure 3
In vitro morphological profile of L929 cell observed under an inverted microscope at various concentrations compared to the controls (without the test sample and with the standard drug doxorubicin), after 24 hours of treatment with W. somnifera leaf, stem, and root methanolic extracts.
Figure 4
Figure 4
IC50 values in the HepG2 cell line treated with W. somnifera methanolic extracts from (a) leaf, (b) stem, and (c) root.
Figure 5
Figure 5
IC50 values in the L929 cell line treated with W. somnifera methanolic extracts (a) leaf, (b) stem, and (c) root.
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