Cereus jamacaru D.C. (mandacaru) is a cactus used as food and in the
traditional medicine. In the present study, hydroalcoholic extract of C. jamacaru was evaluated for its chemical composition,
antioxidant activity, cytotoxic and anti-cytotoxic effects in human lymphocytes and
sarcoma 180 cells in vitro by MTT assay and antitumoral, mutagenic and cytotoxic effects on mice
sarcoma-induced in vivo.
Phytochemical characterization showed positive reactions for
coumarin, flavanol and
tyramine and total
flavonoid content of 0.51 µg/mL. C. jamacaru showed
antioxidant activity following DPPH (EC50 = 427.74 µg/mL),
ABTS (EC50 = 270.57 µg/mL) and Fe2+ chelating
ions assays (EC50 = 41.18 µg/mL). C. jamacaru induced significant decrease of
sarcoma 180 viability at 24 h and 48 h of treatment, did not induce cytotoxicity in human lymphocytes and inhibits the cytotoxicity of
cisplatin in vitro. Following in vivo assays, C. jamacaru promoted
tumor reduction (86.07% of
tumor inhibition), without inducing mutagenic or cytotoxic damage on mice blood cells. We propose that phenolic and
alkaloid compounds in the extract are related to
antioxidant activity, increasing its ability in
metal chelating activity and promoting anti-cytotoxic activity against
cisplatin, as well as these compounds may act on the cell cycle of the
tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, leading to anticancer effects and
tumor reduction.