Modulatory Effects of Ethyl Acetate and Methanol Fractions of the Stem Bark Extract of Alstonia boonei on Mitochondrial-Mediated Apoptosis

ABSTRACT

Methanol and ethyl acetate fractions (MF and EF, respectively) of Alstonia boonei stem bark were investigated for their mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in rat liver mitochondria. With Ca²⁺, EF potentiated the Ca²⁺-induced mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MMPT) pore opening with induction fold of 2, 3, 4, and 5 at 10, 20, 40, and 80 µg mL⁻¹, respectively, while the MF reversed Ca²⁺-induced MMPT pore at the same concentrations. Both MF and EF inhibited the lipid peroxidation. The EF enhanced mitochondrial ATPase activity, cytochrome c release, and caspase 3 and 9 activities. Terpenes were the most abundant natural products in EF. EF has bioactive agents that can modulate mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.

KEYWORDS:

• Caspases
• cytochrome c
• lipid peroxidation
• mitochondrial permeability transition
• apoptosis

Declaration of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.