Apoptosis and cell cycle analysis of the human cancer cell lines: Breast Michigan Cancer Foundation 7, LS-174T colon and HePG2 liver in response to the methanolic and butanolic extracts of Prosopis juliflora

The phreatophytic tree; Prosopis juliflora (P. juliflora), of the Fabaceae family is a widespread invasive plant. The present study aimed to examine the characteristics of the anti-cancer effects potentially induced by P. juliflora leaves extracts, and to compare the bioactivity of its chemical composition in methanolic and butanolic solvents. MCF-7/breast, LS-174T/colorectal, and HepG2/liver, cancer cell lines were cultivated and incubated with various concentrations of the methanolic and butanolic extracts of the plant leaves, and hence the impact on cell viability, proliferation, and cell cycle stages have been investigated. Both extracts of P. juliflora leave induced concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against the previously mentioned cancer cell lines. The calculated IC50 averaged 16.7, 18.04 and, 8.10 μg/ml for methanolic extract, and 12.5, 32.8 and 5.17 μg/ml for butanolic extract of P. juliflora leaves on MCF-7, LS-174T and, HePG2, respectively. Detailed cellular analyses revealed that the cytotoxic action of P. juliflora extracts was mainly via apoptosis but not necrosis for MCF7 in both extracts, either. However, apoptosis and necrosis reciprocally detected for LS-174T and HePG2 in response to the methanolic and butanolic extracts, either. The DNA-flow cytometry analysis showed cells specific antiproliferative action and cell cycle stages arrest in the tested cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative action has detected mostly at the G0/G1 rather than the S-phase of the cell cycle in both extracts. For identifying the chemical composition of the plant and evaluating the anticancer potency, both the methanolic and butanolic extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Betaine and nicotinamide were the major constituents detected for both extracts showing potential anti-cancer effects against breast, hepatic, and colorectal cancerous cells.