Antioxidant activity and induction of cell cycle arrest by Curcuma amada roxb extracts in acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines

This study was undertaken to evaluate the phytochemical, antioxidant and anti-cancer efficacy of Curcuma amada rhizome extracts against acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was studied by DPPH assay, TAC and by estimating the phyto-constituents present. The reducing property of the extracts was determined by assessing the ability of the extracts to reduce FeCl3 solution. The cell viability, proliferation and resistance towards cell toxicity were evaluated by MTT assay and the effect of Curcuma amada test extracts on the cell cycle of acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines (JURKAT) was analyzed by flow cytometry. The Curcuma amada extract treatment of 100 and 200 μg/ml was found to be arrested to 13.37% and 25.96 % at G2M phase of cell cycle respectively when compared to untreated Jurkat cells (8.32 %). Asparaginase showed 49.92 % of cell cycle arrest at G2M phase. When the concentration of Curcuma amada roxb extracts increased from 100 μg/ml to 200 μg/ml, a greater number of cells were seen in G2/M phase and lesser number were there in the S phase indicating that there was a decline in the formation of new daughter cells i.e. it was not allowing the cells to multiply faster. The number of doublets seen was very few when compared to the cells seen while using the standard drug Asparaginase. The cytopathology observed after Curcuma amada extract treatment was rounding and clumping of cells, detachment of cells, cell flagging and apoptosis. The results demonstrate the strong antioxidant and protecting potential of Curcuma amada rhizome extract towards DNA damage and mark it as a potential source of natural antioxidant and anti-cancerous activity at various acute phases of T lymphoblastic leukemia.