Evaluation of In Vitro Cytotoxic Effects of Juniperus foetidissima and Juniperus sabina Extracts Against a Panel of Cancer Cells

Abstract

Isolation of some potent anti-tumor compounds from medicinal plants has motivated researchers to screen different parts of plant for their anti-tumor effects. It has been reported that several species of conifers posses’ cytotoxic activities on some tumor cell lines. Here branchlets and berries of Juniperus foetidissima and J. sabina were collected, dried and ethanol extracts of them obtained using percolation. Extracts were dried in reduced pressure and cytotoxic effects of different concentrations (5, 10, 20 μg/ml) were evaluated by MTT assay against three tumor cell lines (Hela, KB, MDA-MB-468), using ELISA at 540 nm. The extracts of the branchlets of male and female of J.foetidissima and berries extract of J. sabina showed inhibitory activities against KB cells. Extracts of male branchlets of J. foetidissima and berries extract of J. sabina were cytotoxic (cell survival less than 50%) against Hela cell line. Regarding to MDA-MB-468, only the extract of male branchlets of J. foetidissima was cytotoxic. Extracts of J. sabina were not cytotoxic at tested concentrations. According to the results obtained by MTT assay, KB cells seem to be much more sensitive than the other cell lines.