Cytotoxic effects of crude kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix, DC.) leaf fractional extracts on leukemic cell lines

摘要

Crude extracts from the leaves of kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix, DC.) were extracted using hexane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, butanol and methanol. The fractions were investigated?in vitro?for their potential cytotoxic activity on HL60, K562, Molt4, U937 cell lines, and normalhuman peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)?using the MTT assay. The?in vitrocytotoxicity bioassays on 4 leukemic cell lines showed that the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest cytotoxicity, with IC50?values of 19.0±0.6, 35.3±1.4, 21.8±0.4, and 19.8±1.0 μg/ml, in response to HL60, K562, Molt4, and U937 cell lines, respectively. These were higher than those of fractions from hexane, ethanol, and butanol. The methanol fraction had no cytotoxic activity (IC50?value > 100 μg/ml). None of the fractions had cytotoxic effects on PBMCs. The active compound in the ethyl acetate fraction should be investigated for possible use in chemotherapy.