Research Article
ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF MERREMIA EMARGINATA (Burm.F) AGAINST HUMAN CERVICAL AND BREAST CARCINOMA
Abstract
Merremia emarginata Burm. F (Convolvulaceae) is a perennial, much branched herb (creeper). It is found widely distributed all over the India, specially in damp places in upper gangetic plain, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Western脙聝脗垄脙聜芒聜卢脙聜脗聬 Ghats, ascending up to 900m in the hills, Goa, Karnataka in India, Ceylon and Tropical Africa. Merremia emarginata is also known as Ipomoea reniformis chois. It is reported to have many important medicinal properties. In the Indigenous system of Medicine, Ipomoea reniformis has been claimed to be useful for cough, headache, neuralgia, rheumatism, diuretic, inflammation, troubles of nose, fever due to enlargement of liver and also for treating cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate the invitro anticancer activity of Merremia emarginata Burm.F. The different solvent fraction of whole plant Merremia emarginata Burm.F was subjected for MTT assay. The ethylacetate fraction of whole plant was found to be cytotoxic against human cervical carcinoma Hela cell lines and human breast carcinoma MCF cell lines. The IC50 value of ethylacetate fraction was 51.57μg/ml against Hela cell lines and 39.6μg/ml against MCF-7 cell lines. Significant results were observed thereby justifying the use of plant in the traditional system of medicine
