Planta Med 2016; 82 - PB4
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1578652

Cytotoxic Biomonitored Study Of Euphorbia Umbellata (Euphorbiaceae) Latex Fractions

FL Beltrame 1, LEC Luz 1, CC Kanunfre 2, KS Paludo 2, M Wang 3, B Avula 3, IA Khan 3, 4
  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Postal code: 84015 – 050, Paraná Brazil
  • 2Department of General Biology, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Postal code: 84015 – 050, Paraná, Brazil
  • 3National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
  • 4Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Euphorbia umbellata (Pax) Bruyns latex (sap) has been used in Brazilian folk medicine to treat different types of cancers [1, 2]. A biomonitored study of the partitioned latex using in vitro assay as well as a phytochemical evaluation of the most active fraction was executed. Biological screening was performed with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol fractions using MTT, trypan blue, and neutral red assays to determine the cytotoxicity against HRT-18, HeLa and Jurkat cells. The mechanism of action for the most active fraction was investigated applying the acridine orange and Hoechst 33342 staining assays. Phytochemical study of the hexane fraction was performed using GC-MS analysis (Figure 1) and classical chromatographic procedures. The isolated main terpene, of the hexane fraction, was tested using MTT to determine the cytotoxicity. The hexane fraction showed the highest cytotoxicity; whereas the Jurkat cell was the lineage with the highest sensitivity (IC50 1.87 µg/mL). Apoptosis was the mechanism related to the toxicity. Phytochemical study led to isolation of euphol. The evaluation of toxicity of euphol (main compound) demonstrated the specific cytotoxic activity against Jurkat cells as compared to normal human lymphocytes. The current research proves that the Brazilian folk use of E. umbellata latex presents a cytotoxic effect against Jurkat cells. Euphol, which is cited in the literature as a known substance in the Euphorbia genus displayed a cytotoxic effect against leukemic cells but not against lymphocytes.

Fig. 1: Typical chromatogram of hexane fraction of Euphorbia umbellata. Major compound: RT: 12.476 (euphol) – A. Euphol standard – B.

Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to Fundação Araucária (Research Grant 234/2014) and CNPq for financial support (Process 232511/2014 – 4) and technical support of State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG) and National Centre for Natural Products Research (NCNPR – University of Mississippi). Also grateful to Dr. Jon F. Parcher for text correction.

References: [1] de Oliveira et al. (2013) JEP 150(1), 263 – 269. [2] Luz et al. (2015) BJP 25, 344 – 352.