In vitro Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Activities of Careya arborea Root Extracts

Background: Careya arborea stem bark extracts were reported earlier by one of us to possess cytotoxic, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Since, the root of the plant has not been studied biologically so far, the present study was aimed. Similar to stem bark, the root of the plant may also possess anticancer properties. This is the preliminary study. Materials and Methods: A crude methanol and four successive extracts of root were examined for cytotoxic activity against five cancerous cell lines and antioxidant activity using standard methods. IC50 values were found out to judge the activity. Results: The crude methanol extract showed strong cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 46.49±0.4 to 54.73±3.3 µg/ ml against all the cell lines. The successive petroleum ether extract also showed similar property against these cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 48.84±1.3 to 75.57±1.8 µg/ml. The crude methanol extract was also found to possess potent activity in most of the antioxidant methods. Conclusion: The study supports the traditional use of the plant for anticancer purposes and the extract merit further studies.