Synergistic anticancer effects of Dracaena cinnabari and Aloe perryi extracts on colorectal cancer cells: A flow cytometry analysis of toxicity, cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy

The increasing global incidence of cancer and the significant side effects of conventional treatments necessitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Plant-based therapies offer a promising alternative, and this study explores the synergistic anticancer potential of a combined plant extract. A combined extract of Dracaena cinnabari resin and Aloe perryi flowers (DCAP) was evaluated on human colorectal cancer cells (HT-29). Anti-proliferative activity was assessed using the Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the effects on cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and autophagy induction. The DCAP extract demonstrated significant, dose-dependent cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 28.56 µg/mL. The treatment induced cell cycle arrest at the S, G2, and Sub-G1 phases. Notably, DCAP led to a significantly higher percentage of late-stage apoptotic and necrotic cells (96.50 %±1.2 %) compared to Dracaena cinnabari resin (DC) alone and the standard chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Autophagy levels were also significantly elevated. The findings suggest that the synergistic combination of Dracaena cinnabari and Aloe perryi holds potential as a potent natural therapeutic candidate for colorectal cancer by inducing multi-faceted cell death pathways. These results warrant further preclinical and in vivo investigation.