Anticancer activity of the ascidian polyclinum indicum against cervical cancer cells (HeLa) mediated through apoptosis induction.

The cytotoxicity-based chemotherapy treatment for cancer has significant side effects. Therefore, anticancer research is concentrated on identifying an effective drug with minimal side effects. The methanol extract of ascidian Polyclinum indicum and its column fraction PI-8 showed cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells (HeLa) with an IC₅₀ of 77.5 µg/mL and 1.12 µg/mL. Hoechst staining with PI-8 treated cells portrayed the apoptotic events in drug-induced apoptosis. The PI-8 markedly arrested G₂/M and S phases in cell cycle. The occurrence of a second population of apoptotic cells in the range of lower Forward Scatter (FSC) and higher Side Scatter (SSC) compared to control cells indicated the characteristic feature of the cells dying of apoptosis. DNA fragmentation has established the apoptotic event. The study emphasized the fraction PI-8 of P. indicum as a potential lead compound for apoptosis targeted anticancer drugs. The molecular mechanism and chemotherapeutic potential of the fraction PI-8 needs further investigation.