Antimelanoma and radioprotective activity of alcoholic aqueous extract of different species of Ocimum in C₅₇BL mice

Abstract

Context: Various Ocimum species (Labiateae) are commonly used for the treatment of inflammation, stress, diarrhea, and as an antioxidant drug in the Indian ethnic system of medicine.

Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate the antimelanoma and radioprotective activity of different species of Ocimum in C₅₇BL and Swiss albino mice.

Materials and methods: The antimelanoma activity of 50% alcoholic aqueous leaf extract of five species of Ocimum [Ocimum sanctum (SE), Ocimum gratissimum (GE), Ocimum basilicum (BE), Ocimum canum (CE), and Ocimum kilimandscharicum (KE)] alone or in combination with radiotherapy was determined on the basis of tumor volume, body weight, and survival rate of animals. The radioprotective potential of different species of Ocimum was determined by chromosomal aberration assay. The effect of the alcoholic aqueous extract of different species of Ocimum was also evaluated for the estimation of glutathione level and glutathione S-transferase activity in Swiss albino mice.

Results: The 50% alcoholic aqueous extract of different species of Ocimum administered orally (200 mg/kg, p.o.) resulted in significant reduction in tumor volume, increase in average body weight, and survival rate of mice. The various extracts showed modulatory influence against lethal irradiation doses of gamma radiation in terms of radiation-induced chromosomal damage, while at the same time induced an increase in reduced glutathione level and GST activity.

Discussion and conclusion: These findings demonstrate that Ocimum species have antimelanoma and radioprotective activity against B₁₆F₁₀ metastatic melanoma cell line-induced metastasis and could be exploited as one of the potential sources for plant-based pharmaceutical products.

Keywords::

• B₁₆F₁₀
• chromosomal aberration
• metastatic melanoma
• reduced glutathione

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Shri Madan Mohan Joshi, Chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Bhopal, for providing facilities to carry out the work. Sanjeev Vashistha and Nancy, Department of Radiation Biology and Radioprotection, are acknowledged gratefully for irradiation facilities and dosimetric calculations.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.