Anticancer activity of Momordica cochinchinensis (red gac) aril and the impact of varietal diversity
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(2020) 20:365
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Anticancer activity of Momordica cochinchinensis (red gac) aril and the impact of varietal diversity Dilani Wimalasiri1, Chaitali Dekiwadia2, Siat Yee Fong3, Terrence J. Piva4 and Tien Huynh1*
Abstract Background: Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is a nutritionally and medicinally important fruit restricted to South East Asia with diverse morphological and genetic variations but there is limited information on its medicinal potential. Methods: M. cochinchinensis aril from 44 different samples in Australia, Thailand and Vietnam were extracted using different solvents and tested for its anticancer potential. Anticancer activity of M. cochinchinensis aril on breast cancer (MCF7 and BT474) and melanoma (MM418C1 and D24) cells were compared to control fibroblasts (NHDF). The cytotoxicity of the cells following treatment with the aril extract was determined using CCK-8 assay. Biochemical and morphological changes were analysed using flow cytometry, confocal and transmission electron microscopy to determine the mechanism of cell death. Results: The water extract from the aril of M. cochinchinensis elicited significantly higher cytotoxicity towards breast cancer and melanoma cells than the HAE extract. The IC50 concentration for the crude water extract ranged from 0.49 to 0.73 mg/mL and induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependant manner with typical biochemical and morphological characteristics. The greatest cytotoxicity was observed from Northern Vietnam samples which caused 70 and 50% melanoma and breast cancer cell death, respectively. Conclusions: The water extract of M. cochinchinensis aril caused significant apoptosis and necrosis of breast cancer and melanoma cells, with varieties from Northern Vietnam possessing superior activity. This highlights the potential of this fruit in the development of novel anticancer agents against such tumours, with specific regions on where to collect the best variety and extraction solvent for optimum activity. Keywords: Apoptosis, Breast cancer, Cytotoxicity, Melanoma, Momordica cochinchinensis, Necrosis, Red Gac
Introduction Cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation initiated by inappropriate cell division. It is categorised as the second leading worldwide cause of death, with 14.1 million estimated cases in 2015 and is a significant health problem in both * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 School of Sciences (Biotechnology), RMIT University, PO Box 71, Bundoora 3083, Australia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
developed and developing countries [1]. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer type in the world and is the most common malignancy among women [2]. However, Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence and mortality rates from cutaneous melanoma in the world mainly due to exposure of the skin to high Ultra Violet (UV) radiation [3]. A
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