Pharmacognostic profiling, antioxidant, and anticancer potential of Mimusops elengi and Cassia tora extracts

Background: Important Ayurvedic medicinal plants Mimusops elengi L. and Cassia tora L. (CT). have been mentioned and used in the traditional Indian system of medicine for the prophylaxis and treatment of various human ailments. Aim: To evaluate the pharmacognostic, chromatographic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties of ethanolic leaf extracts from ME and CT on scientific lines and thereby validate the claims of traditional text. Materials and Methods: Chromatographic characterization was performed using high-performance thin-layer chromatography. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay was performed to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Sulforhodamine B and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays were performed to evaluate anticancer activity on Hop-62, Colo-205, breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), HeLa, and HepG2 cancer cells. Apoptosis was studied through live/dead cellular viability and apoptotic assay. Results: The pharmacognostic parameters were obtained to aid in the accurate authentication and identification of ME and CT. Chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, Quercetin, and ursolic acid. The study demonstrated concentration-dependent antioxidant and anticancer activities. Notably, selected extracts exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cancer cells and the activity might be produced by inducing apoptosis. The extract of ME showed promising results across all selected cancer cell lines compared to CT. Conclusion: Further studies are hereby being recommended, particularly related to the exact mechanism of anticancer action, along with the isolation of leads responsible for the activity, to fully explore the anticancer potential of these plants.