ABSTRACT
The herbal family Cucurbitaceae are rich in nutrients as well as compounds of medicinal interest viz. taxols and microtubule inhibitors, particularly against cancer. Here, we evaluated the cytotoxic, antimitotic, and antiproliferative properties of n-hexane and petroleum ether seed extracts of pumpkin Cucurbita pepo L. (CP), Muskmelon Cucumis melo L. (CM) and cucumber Cucumis sativus L. (CS). The cytotoxic activity was determined using brine shrimp lethality bioassay, antimitotic activity was determined using Allium cepa root growth inhibition test and Vigna radiata (green gram) germination test, and antiproliferative activity was determined by cell viability assay using yeast model on the extracts. The extracts showed positive concentration dependent cytotoxicity towards brine shrimp. The LC50 values for n-hexane extracts of CP, CM and CS were 750, 250 and 500 µg/mL, respectively, and for petroleum ether extracts, the LC50 values were 500, 500 and 1000 µg/mL, respectively. Good root growth inhibition of Allium cepa was observed for both the extracts of CP, CM and CS with the efficient concentration (EC50) values 500, 500, 250 ppm and 500, 250, 500 ppm, respectively. Antimitotic activity of extracts showed significant inhibition of imbibition morphologically. Percentage of inhibition for n-hexane extracts of CP, CM, CS were 119.9, 121.7, 108.7% and that for petroleum ether extracts of CP, CM, CS were 58, 58.41, 61.28%, respectively. Antiproliferative assay using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) model showed good concentration-dependent inhibition of yeast cell growth. The percentage of cell inhibition for n-hexane extract of CP (1, 2, 3 mg/mL) was 75, 82.7 and 95.6%, respectively. For CM, it was 75.8, 84.3 and 97.6% while that for CS, it was 72.9, 81.7 and 92.5%, respectively. The percentage of cell inhibition for petroleum ether extract of CP (1, 2, 3 mg/mL) was 70.5, 76.4 and 90.1%, respectively. For CM, it was 72.3, 78.8 and 91.9% while that for CS, it was 72.7, 82.1 and 93.1, respectively. The results have demonstrated significant cytotoxic, antimitotic and antiproliferative activity of the seed extracts of Cucurbita pepo, Cucumis melo and Cucumis sativus.