Cellular antioxidative, cytotoxic, and antileishmanial activities of Homalium letestui.

OBJECTIVE

Homalium letestui Pellegr (Flacourtiaceae) is used in traditional medicine in parts of Nigeria for the treatment of malaria, ulcer, and inflammatory diseases and as an aphrodisiac. This investigation was aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, and antileishmanial properties of stem extract and fractions of Homalium letestui (H. letestui).

METHODS

Cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells was done using sulphorhodamine (SRB) method and DNA interaction activity using gel electrophoresis. Immunomodulatory activity of the extract in whole blood, neutrophils, and macrophages was also investigated using luminol/lucigenin-based chemiluminescence assay. The extract and fractions were similarly screened for antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major in vitro. The GCMS analysis of the most active fraction against HeLa cells was carried out.

RESULTS

The stem extract exerted prominent cytotoxic activity with the dichloromethane fraction exhibiting the most pronounced effect (GI50 -5.12±1.45 µg/ml, LC50- 57.3±2.33 µg/ml, TGI -12.6±0.87 µg/ml). The crude extract and the fractions did not interact with DNA when investigated using electrophoresis. The extract significantly ((p<0.05 - 0.001) inhibited oxidative burst activity in whole blood (-27.90-66.90%), isolated polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) (16.50-67.0%), and mononuclear cells (MNCs) (4.31-98.50%) when two different phagocytosis activators (serum opsonizing zymosan-A and PMA) were used. The extract also exhibited moderate antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major in vitro. GCMS analysis of active fraction revealed pharmacologically active compounds.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the stem extract/fractions of H. letestui possess cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, and antileishmanial activities.