Recent perspectives on the anticancer properties of aqueous extracts of Nigerian Vernonia amygdalina

Figures & data

Figure 1 Vernonia amygdalina Delile (A–C).

Note: Family: Asteraceae; Genus: Vernonia; Species: Vernonia amygdalina Delile. Reproduced with permission from © Robert von Blittersdorff (B and C) and © Stefan Dressler (A), www.africanplants.senckenberg.de.⁹⁶

Figure 2 Flow diagram showing the stages in the organic extraction and separation of fractions A-1, A-2, and A-3 using various solvents.

Abbreviation: VA, Vernonia amygdalina.

Figure 3 Flow chart diagram showing stages in the organic extraction and elution of fractions B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, and B-5 from Vernonia amygdalina condensate using silica gel.

Note: Bioactivity assays reveal that B-2 and B-3 are biologically active.

Figure 4 Multiple-solvent fractions of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) extracts inhibited DNA synthesis.

Notes: Cells at the logarithmic growth phase were treated with either 100 or 1,000 μg/mL for 18 hours before the addition of 1 μCi/mL [3H]thymidine for 6 hours. Each data point represents the mean of three independent experiments done in duplicates (N=6). Exposure of cells to multiple-solvent fractions (butanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, hexane, and methanol) of VA inhibited DNA synthesis in both concentration and solvent-dependent fashion. *Hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracted fractions (A-1, A-2, and B-3) at 100 μg/mL inhibited DNA synthesis by approximately 30%. **One thousand microgram per milliliter of fractions of hexane, chloroform, butanol, and ethyl acetate (A-1–3, B-2, B-3, and B-4) inhibited DNA synthesis by 76%, 98%, 94%, 98%, 98%, and 96% (P,0.001), respectively [3H]thymidine uptake was determined.
Abbreviations: cpm, counts per minute; Cont, control.

Table 1 RT and heights of two characteristic peaks in HPLC fingerprints of four fraction extracts of a batch of VA

VA fraction no	Peak 1 RT (min)	Peak 2 RT (min)	Mean RT (min)	SD RT (min)	Peak 1 height (mAU)	Peak 2 height (mAU)	Mean height (mAU)	SD height (mAU)
4	2.206	2.208	2.207	0.001	5.50	14.0	9.75	6.010
A-2	2.210	2.213	2.2115	0.002	1.2	3.5	2.35	1.626
B-2	2.185	2.187	2.186	0.001	6.9	25.0	15.95	12.799
B-3	2.150	2.152	2.151	0.001	2.25	6.7	4.475	3.147

Notes: All fraction peaks expressed at a relatively similar retention time, while higher peak height was expressed in fractions 4 and B-3. Fingerprint experiment was conducted in duplicates, and mean and standard deviations for peak height and retention time computed.

Abbreviations: RT, retention time; VA, Vernonia amygdalina; SD, standard deviation; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography.

Brunken U, Schmidt M, Dressler S, Janssen T, Thiombiano A, Zizka G. West African plants – A Photo Guide. Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt/Main, Germany; 2008. Available from: www.westafricanplants.senckenberg.de. Accessed October 30, 2015.

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