Background Canarium odontophyllum Miq. is a plant species widely known as ‘dabai’ and can be vastly found in Sarawak. The aim of this study was to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic effect of extracts from stem bark of C. odontophyllum against HCT 116 human colorectal cancer cell line.MethodThe IC50 values of the aqueous, methanol, and acetone extracts against HCT 116 cells as well as the acetone extract against human colon fibroblast cell line CCD-18co were determined using the MTT assay. The concentration of the extracts ranged from 12.5 to 200 μg/ml at treatment time of 24, 48 and 72 h. Annexin V-FITC/PI labelling assay was employed to determine mode of HCT 116 cell death induced by acetone extract at 48 h. The DNA damage induced by the extract in HCT 116 cells was detected using alkaline comet assay at 30 min of IC10 and IC25 treatment.ResultsAcetone extract exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect against HCT 116 cells compared to methanol and aqueous extract at 24, 48 and 72 h. Despite no cytotoxic effect by acetone extract against CCD-18co cells at 24 and 48 h, however at 72 h, CCD-18co cells proliferated. Apoptosis assessment using Annexin V-FITC/PI labelling assay revealed that the primary cell death was via apoptosis after 48 h treatment. Low doses of acetone extract from stem bark of C. odontophyllum showed significant DNA damage in HCT 116 cells with tail moment of 6.187 ± 0.718 A.U and 7.877 ± 0.142 A.U, respectively.ConclusionsAcetone extract from stem bark of C. odontophyllum has high potential in the development of anticancer agent against HCT 116 cells with no cytotoxic effect against human colon fibroblast cells.

and Fusarium solani M2781. The extracts from C. odontophyllum stem bark from 3.125 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml were screened against the tested microorganisms using disc diffusion method. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the extracts against susceptible organisms were determined using microbroth dilution method and streak-plate technique, respectively. From the antibacterial screening assay, the growth of S. aureus, B. cereus and A. baumannii were inhibited by methanol extract whereas the acetone extract was capable of inhibiting all the tested microorganisms except E.coli, F. solani and A. niger. The lowest MIC value for methanol extract was against A. baumannii (0.195 mg/ml) whereas its MBC value was twice its MIC value (0.391 mg/ml), indicating that methanol extract was bacteriostatic against A. baumannii. While for acetone extract, S. aureus showed bactericidal effect with equal MIC and MBC values at 0.195 mg/ ml. In conclusion, stem bark of C. odontophyllum has the potential to be the source of antibacterial agent and can be exploited as an alternative phytoantimicrobial.