Anticancer activity of Rhein isolated from Cassia fistula L. flower

Abstract

To evaluate anticancer activity of Rhein isolated from ethyl acetate extract of Cassia fistula (C. fistula) flowers against colon cancer celllines. Rhein was tested against human colon adenocarcinoma cell line COLO 320 DM and normal cell line VERO. Rhein exhibited minimal cytotoxic effect toward VERO cells. The compound rhein was identified by spectroscopical method. Rhein was found to be cytotoxic toward COLO320 DM cells in a concentration and time dependant manner. Rhein exhibited 40.59%, 58.26%, 65.40%, 77.92% and 80.25% cytotoxicity at 200 μg/mL concentration for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h incubation time. The IC50 values of Rhein were 100, 25, 15, and 12.5 μg/mL for 12, 24, 48 and 72 h incubation respectively. The COLO 320DM cells treated with Rhein showed the characters of apoptosis at 24 h period of treatment at 6.25 and 12.5 μg/mL. Apoptosis in early stages was 2.29% at 6.25 μg/mL and at late stages it was 1.94%. When the concentration was increased to 12.5 μg/mL, apoptosis was 4.36% at early stages and 5.61% at late stages, respectively. The results indicated that Rhein could be utilized in the treatment of cancer.