Cytostatic potential of Ephedra aphylla Forssk. and Ephedra foeminea Forssk. different extract types against HeLa cell line

Abstract

The cytotoxic and cytostatic anticancer potential of Ephedra aphylla and Ephedra foeminae extracts on the HeLa cell line was assessed via qualitative inverted microscopy morphological screening and quantitative MTT assay using 400, 200, 100, 50, and 25 µg/mL from aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts. The obtained data showed morphological changes in HeLa cells as they became more rounder, shrunken and detachable than controls after 72 h. Moreover, this was confirmed by MTT assay HeLa cell line viability cytotoxic reduction of 99.7-71.1% and 99.1-72.2% for E. aphylla and E. foeminea at 25-400 µg/mL, respectively. While, cytostatic reduction was 98.9-10.7% and 98.5-27.9% for E. aphylla and E. foeminea at 25-400 µg/mL, respectively. Among them, E. aphylla ethanol extract followed by E. foeminea methanol extract possessed the strongest cytostatic anticancer effect reducing HeLa cell line viability down to 10.7% and 27.9% at 400 µg/mL with nontoxic IC50 of 187.5 and 257.9 µg/mL, respectively.