Antioxidant, Brine Shrimp Lethality, and Antiproliferative Properties of Gel and Leaf Extracts of Aloe schweinfurthii and Aloe vera

ABSTRACT

Leaf and gel extracts of Aloe schweinfurthii and A. vera were subjected to in vitro antioxidant assay using 2,2-diphennyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), brine shrimp lethality bioassay, and cytotoxicity using the MTT assay with two human cancer cell lines: Rd and Hep-2c. Extracts of A. schweinfurthii gel had IC₅₀ values of 44.59; A. vera gel, 41.48, and A. vera leaf, 38.84 µg.mL^–1, had similar DPPH radical-scavenging properties and were more active than A. schweinfurthii leaf. Ascorbic acid had an IC₅₀ of 9.26 ± 0.14 µg.mL^–1. Aloe vera leaf (LC₅₀ = 325 ± 5.38 µg.mL^–1) was more active than the other three extracts in the BSL assay. The gel extracts of A. schweinfurthii (CC₅₀ = 4.06 µg.mL^–1on Rd and 9.00 µg.mL^–1 on Hep-2c) and A. vera (CC₅₀ = 4.31 µg.mL^–1 on Rd, 9.06 µg.mL^–1 on Hep-2c) elicited similar and more potent cytotoxicity comparable to cyclophosphamide, with CC₅₀ = 2.2 µg.mL^–1 on Rd and 2.66 µg.mL^–1 on Hep-2c. Leaf extracts were less active than gel extracts. This study showed that A. schweinfurthii gel, A. vera gel and leaf had weak DPPH activity which were similar. Aloe vera and A. schweinfurthii did not elicit potent cytotoxicity in BSL assay. The gels from both Aloe species displayed antipoliferative activity on Rd and Hep-2c, two human cell cancer lines.

KEYWORDS:

• BSL
• Rd and Hep-2c human cancer cell lines
• DPPH radical scavenging

Funding

Mr. K. M. Salawu was funded by the University of Ilorin for postgraduate studies at the University of Ibadan.

Additional information

Funding

Mr. K. M. Salawu was funded by the University of Ilorin for postgraduate studies at the University of Ibadan.