Evaluation of Anticancer Potential of Ethanolic Extract of Acacia farnesiana Bark

• Author Information

  Ravi Kant, Ram Nath Khorwal

• Ravi Kant, Ram Nath Khorwal
• Evaluation of Anticancer Potential of Ethanolic Extract of Acacia farnesiana Bark

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, necessitating the search for safer and more effective therapeutic agents from natural sources. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anticancer potential of the ethanolic bark extract of Acacia farnesiana against human breast cancer (MCF-7) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines. Bark samples were collected, authenticated, shade-dried, and extracted using ethanol through Soxhlet extraction. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was assessed using the MTT assay at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 µg/mL. Results demonstrated a concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability in both cancer cell lines. At the highest tested concentration (100 µg/mL), cell viability decreased to 28.4% in HeLa cells and 19.4% in MCF-7 cells, indicating significant antiproliferative activity. The MCF-7 cell line exhibited greater sensitivity to the extract compared to HeLa cells. The observed cytotoxic effects may be attributed to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and tannins, which are known to induce apoptosis and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. These findings suggest that the ethanolic bark extract of Acacia farnesiana possesses promising anticancer potential and may serve as a valuable source of lead molecules for the development of novel plant-based anticancer therapeutics. Further mechanistic studies and in vivo investigations are warranted to validate its efficacy and safety.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Cervical cancer, MTT assay, Acacia farnesiana, etc.