Anticancer Activity of Dimocarpus longan Lour.Leaf Extracts in vitro and Phytochemical Profile

This study deals with the evaluation of anti cancer effect of Dimocarpus longan extracts and also the investigation of the phytoconstituents from the plant extracts. Petroleum ether (40-60оC), Chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol 80% extracts of D. longan leaf were tested for their anti cancer activity on three cancer cells TK10 (renal), UACC62 (melanoma) and MCF7 (breast) cancer cells using a Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Petroleum ether of D. longan at the concentration of 100 µg/ml has shown a significant anticancer effect for UACC62 (melanoma) cancer cell and showed mild anticancer effect for the other two cancer cells while the other extracts have mild anticancer effect on the three cancer cells. Phytochemical profile of the plant extracts proves the presence of triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins and carbohydrates in methanol 80% extract and both chloroform and ethyl acetate have triterpenes and flavonoids while petroleum ether has triterpenes and/or sterols. Chromatographic separation and bioactive fractionation of petroleum ether extract revealed the isolation and identification of β-sitosterol, stigmasterol as the major constituents. The results suggest that petroleum ether extract of Dimocarpus longan leaf exhibited a significant anti cancer effect.