Abstract

VILLAVICENCIO NIETO, M.A.; PEREZ ESCANDON, B.E.; MENDOZA PEREZ, E.  and  MALDONADO LAGUNAS, V.. Cytotoxicity in hela cells from extracts of three medicinal plants species from Hidalgo, Mexico. Polibotánica [online]. 2008, n.26, pp.137-147. ISSN 1405-2768.

Ethanolic extracts of three medicinal plants, Juniperus deppeana, Solanum rostratum and Bidens odorata, which are used in folk medicine in Hidalgo, Mexico, for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, tumors and cancer, were tested in a HeLa cell line to evaluate their cytotoxic activity. The highest cytotoxicity was found in the extract of J. deppeana (IC = 4.63 µg/ml); hence, this extract was separated via chromatography on a silica gel plate, from which the main fraction (R_f = 0.28) showed strong cyto-toxic activity (IC₅₀ = 0.79 µg/ml). Whereas the extract of S. rostratum also exhibited cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 127.5 µg/ml), that of B. odorata was inactive.

Keywords : Juniperus deppeana; Solanum rostratum; Bidens odorata; medicinal plants; Hidalgo; Mexico; cytotoxicity; HeLa.