Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.), an evergreen medium-sized, spiny tree which have vast nutritional values and widely used in ayurvedic medicines and
home remedies. The plant has also been a rich source of biologically active compounds. The present study was designed to isolate pure compound from
ethyl acetate fraction of
methanol extract of leaves and to know the efficacy as
antioxidant as well as its anti-
tumor activity on Ehrlich
ascites carcinoma cell (EAC). METHODS: The leaves were extracted with
methanol and fractionated with different
solvents. The isolation of the compound was carried out by column chromatography from
ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and structure was revealed by 1H-NMR and 13C NMR. The
antioxidant activity was investigated by the scavenging of
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)
free radicals as well as the inhibition of oxidative damage of pUC19 plasmid
DNA,
hemolysis and lipid peroxidation induced by a water-soluble
free radical initiator 2,2'-azo (2-asmidinopropane) dihydrochloride (
AAPH) in human erythrocytes. In vivo anti-
tumor activity of the compound was also evaluated by determining the viable
tumor cell count, hematological profiles of experimental mice along with observing morphological changes of EAC cells by fluorescence microscope.
RESULTS: The isolated compound
kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside effectively inhibited
AAPH induced oxidation in
DNA and human erythrocyte model and
lipid per oxidation as well as a stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity. In anti-
tumor assay, at a dose of 50 mg/kg
body weight exhibit about 70.89 ± 6.62% EAC cell growth inhibition, whereas standard anticancer drug
vincristine showed 77.84 ± 6.69% growth inhibition.
CONCLUSION: