Abstract

In this study, potential antioxidant activities of crude extracts from Asphodelus aestivus Brot. (AA) tubers were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, and cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of the extracts on MCF-7 breast cancer cells were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion assay, comet assay and hoechst 33258/propidium iodide double staining. Crude diethyl ether and ethyl acetate extracts from AA have significant DPPH scavenging activity, except methanol and water (infusion and decoction) extracts. All of the extracts have cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cells, time- and concentration-dependently. Although all of the extracts induced significantly deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, diethyl ether and ethyl acetate extracts induced apoptosis in the middle level and the others induced apoptosis in significant level. Results of this study suggest a dose-response relationship for all extract samples. The results demonstrates that antioxidant, cytotoxic and apoptotic properties of A. aestivus Brot. extracts show differentiation to extract type. Crude extracts were used in this study and we do not know which chemical(s) in the extracts exhibited cytotoxic, DNA damaging and apoptotic effects. Therefore, a further chemical identification of the crude extracts and further in vitro and in vivo studies about cytotoxic and apoptotic activities are required.

Key words: Asphodelus aestivus Brot., antioxidant activity, cytotoxic activity, apoptosis, comet assay, MCF-7 cells.