Chemical properties and medicinal activities of Commiphora Myrrha extracts against cancer cells

This study aimed to assess the potential of Commiphora Myrrha (C. Myrrha) extracts (methanol, aqueous, and petroleum ether) as well as their chemical characteristics and medicinal applications. Also, to evaluate antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer activity. The chemical structure of C. Myrrha extracts constituents were compounds such as gamma-Terpinene, heerboresene, campesterol, keto steroids, βsitosterol, 3-epi-α-amyrin, α-amyrone, commiferin, commiphorinic acid, and different commiphoric acids. Methanol extract of C. Myrrha showed higher activity than aqueous and oil against microbial organisms. It shows zone inhibition against Candida albicans (15 mm), Aspergillus niger (16 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (15 mm), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15 mm). The reason is the presence of phenolic, germacrene D, and pcymene compounds. It has been noticed that phytochemical screening tests of methanolic and aqueous extracts of C. Myrrha are rich in terpenoids and tannins (+3), flavonoids, saponins, and steroids (+2), and alkaloids and cyanogenic glycosides in both extracts are not present. The approximate analysis shows that the methanolic and aqueous extracts demonstrate moisture content (25.33-75.35%), ash (2.20-3.30%), crude protein (8.01- 8.30%), ether extract (3.02-5.35%), crude fibre (10.09-11.00%), and none free extract (4.50-3.50%), respectively. The standard inhibitory activity against colon carcinoma cells was detected with different concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, & 3.125 µl/100 µl) with IC50 = 13.19±0.63 µl/100 µl. methanolic and aqueous extracts of C. Myrrha in concentrations (100, 50 µl) induce apoptosis (99.03, 93.86), respectively, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells through down-regulating cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The reason is the presence of the furano-sesquiterpene compound. in which, the inhibition percentage of the heat-induced hemolysis of RBCs membrane in the case of aqueous extract is low (58.2%), as for methanol extract is high (95.8%) compared to the standard drug Aspirin (97.4%). Antioxidant activity of aqueous and methanol extracts of C. Myrrha against DPPH radical scavenging activity obtained by dose sample with IC50 = µl/ 1000 µl, were (78.5%) and (98.2%), respectively.