Bioactive chemical constituents of Curcuma longa L. rhizomes extract inhibit the growth of human hepatoma cell line (HepG2)

• Published in: Acta Pharmaceutica 2016-09, Vol.66 (3), p.387-398
• Main Authors: Abdel-Lateef, Ezzat, Mahmoud, Faten, Hammam, Olfat, El-Ahwany, Eman, El-Wakil, Eman, Kandil, Sherihan, Abu Taleb, Hoda, El-Sayed, Mortada, Hassenein, Hanaa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anticancer activity; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - analysis; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - isolation & purification; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Curcuma - chemistry; Curcuma longa L; curcumin; Curcumin - analysis; Curcumin - isolation & purification; Curcumin - pharmacology; Cyclohexenes - analysis; Cyclohexenes - isolation & purification; Drug Discovery; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; GC-MS analysis; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Ketones - analysis; Ketones - isolation & purification; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Monoterpenes - analysis; Monoterpenes - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rhizome - chemistry; Sesquiterpenes - analysis; Sesquiterpenes - isolation & purification; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatile Organic Compounds - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1846-9558; 1330-0075; 1846-9558
• DOI: 10.1515/acph-2016-0028

The present study was designed to identify the chemical constituents of the methanolic extract of Curcuma longa L. rhizomes and their inhibitory effect on a hepatoma cell line. The methanolic extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis to identify the volatile constituents and the other part of the same extract was subjected to liquid column chromatographic separation to isolate curcumin. The inhibition of cell growth in the hepatoma cell line and the cytopathological changes were studied. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of fifty compounds in the methanolic extract of C. longa. The major compounds were ar-turmerone (20.50 %), β-sesquiphellandrene (5.20 %) and curcumenol (5.11 %). Curcumin was identified using IR, H and C NMR. The inhibition of cell growth by curcumin (IC = 41.69 ± 2.87 μg mL ) was much more effective than that of methanolic extract (IC = 196.12 ± 5.25 μg mL ). Degenerative and apoptotic changes were more evident in curcumin- treated hepatoma cells than in those treated with the methanol extract. Antitumor potential of the methanolic extract may be attributed to the presence of sesquiterpenes and phenolic constituents including curcumin (0.051 %, 511.39 μg g dried methanol extract) in C. longa rhizomes.