Chemical analyses and in vitro and in vivo toxicity of fruit methanol extract of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum.
CONTEXT
Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (Cucurbitaceae) is used in ethnomedicine, but the diversity of the varietal groups of this species has not often been considered. This is important because we previously reported that different variety of species exhibit different activities across different tumor cell lines.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the chemical composition and biological activities of extracts obtained from S. edule var. nigrum spinosum.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
The leukemia P388 cell line and mononuclear bone marrow cells (MNCBMs) were treated with the extract at a concentration ranging from 40 to 2370 μg/mL for cytotoxicity and viability assays. CD-1 mice were treated with 8-5000 mg/kg extract and monitored every hour for the first 24 h and subsequently for seven days for signs of toxicity (LD50). In addition, the chromatographic profile of the extract was determined by HPLC.


RESULTS
The extract inhibits the proliferation of both P388 cells and MNCBMs, with IC50 values of 927 and 1911 μg/mL, respectively, but reduced the viability and induced the apoptosis of only leukemia cells. The LD50 was higher than 5000 mg/kg, and this concentration did not alter the blood chemistry or cell count but doubled the mitotic index in the bone marrow. The HPLC showed the presence of cucurbitacins, phloridzin, naringenin, phloretin, apigenin, and gallic, chlorogenic, vanillic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, and p-coumaric acids.


DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum contains bioactive compounds that explain the antiproliferative and nutraceutical activities, and its lack of physiological side effects constitutes an added value to a widely consumed vegetable.
['Aguiñiga-Sánchez|Itzen|I|', 'Cadena-Íñiguez|Jorge|J|', 'Santiago-Osorio|Edelmiro|E|', 'Gómez-García|Guadalupe|G|', 'Mendoza-Núñez|Víctor Manuel|VM|', 'Rosado-Pérez|Juana|J|', 'Ruíz-Ramos|Mirna|M|', 'Cisneros-Solano|Víctor Manuel|VM|', 'Ledesma-Martínez|Edgar|E|', 'Delgado-Bordonave|Angel de Jesus|AJ|', 'Soto-Hernández|Ramón Marcos|RM|']
D000818:Animals D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic D017209:Apoptosis D001854:Bone Marrow Cells D045744:Cell Line, Tumor D049109:Cell Proliferation D002470:Cell Survival D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid D019662:Cucurbitaceae D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug D005260:Female D005638:Fruit D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50 D007928:Lethal Dose 50 D007941:Leukemia P388 D008297:Male D000432:Methanol D051379:Mice D010936:Plant Extracts
cytotoxicity HPLC GISeM chayote differential