In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Seed Oil of Fenugreek Against Various Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

In the present study, investigations were carried out to screen the anticancer activities of fenugreek seed oil against cancer cell lines (HEp-2, MCF-7, WISH cells), and a normal cell line (Vero cells). Cytotoxicity was assessed with MTT and NRU assays, and cellular morphological alterations were studied using phase contrast light microscopy. All cells were exposed toi 10-1000 μg/ml of fenugreek seed oil for 24 h. The results show that fenugreek seed oil significantly reduced the cell viability, and altered the cellular morphology in a dose dependent manner. Among the cell lines, HEp-2 cells showed the highest decrease in cell viability, followed by MCF-7, WISH, and Vero cells by MTT and NRU assays. Cell viability at 1000 μg/ml was recorded as 55% in HEp-2 cells, 67% in MCF-7 cells, 75% in WISH cells, and 86% in Vero cells. The present study provides preliminary screening data for fenugreek seed oil pointing to potent cytotoxicity against cancer cells.

Trigonella seed extract ameliorates inflammation via regulation of the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC

“…This is also supported by the earlier findings where fenugreek crude seed extract was selectively toxic to cancer cell lines and not harmful to the normal counterparts but purified components such as diosgenin were toxic to both normal and cancer cell lines (49). This selective cytotoxicity was also observed in the oil extracted from fenugreek seeds (50). Recently, Dick et al, reported the mechanism of ASC filament formation and signal amplification for inflammasome mediated cytokine production (48).…”

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy

“…Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts exerted cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (Sebastian and Thampan, 2007), while an ethanolic extract induced cell death in Jurkat leukemia cells (Al-Daghri et al, 2012). Seed oil from fenugreek induced cytotoxicity toward several cancer cell lines [HEp2 (human epidermoid cancer cells), WISH, and MCF-7; Al-Oqail et al, 2013]. …”

Low molecular weight galactomannans-based standardized fenugreek seed extract ameliorates high-fat diet-induced obesity in miceviamodulation of FASn, IL-6, leptin, and TRIP-Br2

“…The pharmacological evidence has demonstrated that fenugreek possesses antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inammatory, antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, and antitumor activities. [32][33][34][35][36] The fenugreek seed contains a variety of chemical constituents that include alkaloids (such as trigonelline, gentianine, carpaine, etc. ), furastanols (like vicenin-1, vitexin, diosgenin, gitogenin, yamogenin), free amino acids (4-hydroxyisoleucine), protein, mucilaginous soluble ber and insoluble ber, xed fatty acids, essential oils, steroidal saponins, etc.…”