Abstract:

Based on traditional medicinal use Apium graveolens seed was selected to evaluate its anti-cancer property with special reference to apoptosis induction, if any. When the water, alcohol and hexane extracts of the dried powder of the plant seeds were tested for cytotoxicity to Dalton’s Lymphoma Acitic (DLA) cells in vitro using Tryphan blue method, only the n-hexane extract showed significant activity at 500 µg/ml level. The extract induced apoptosis as evidenced by morphological changes. The cytotoxicity of this extract was found to be more to cancer cells (DLA) compared to normal cells (thymocytes and macrophages). An active chloroform fraction was separated from this extract. The active fraction at a dose of 200 mg/kg protected 75 % of the mice challenged with 1 X 10⁶ DLA cells whereas all untreated control mice died of cancer. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) on silica gel further separated this anticancer fraction into 2 cytotoxic components. One of them was identified as a steroid positive component whereas the other was an alkaloid positive component. The steroid component induced apoptotic cell death while the other component induced necrotic cell death. These components are attractive materials for further studies leading to possible anti-cancer drug development.

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