Anticancer activity of Zea mays leaf extracts on oxidative stress-induced Hep2 cells.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in humans. It is believed that plants can provide potential bioactive compounds for the development of "new leads" to combat cancer and other diseases. The present study focuses on the ability of the different extracts (aqueous, methanol, and chloroform) of the leaves of Zea mays in influencing the process of apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in Hep2 (laryngeal carcinoma) cells. Various apoptosis-related parameters, such as cell viability, morphological changes, nuclear changes, and apoptotic index were characterized. sulforhodamine B and MTT assays were used to quantify the extent of cell death in the group exposed to H2O2, plant extracts, and their combination. Treatment with H2O2 caused cytotoxicity in cancer cells. The administration of leaf extract also caused an increase in the death of cancer cells. Oxidatively stressed cancer cells co-treated with all the Z. mays leaf extracts (except the chloroform extract) demonstrated cytotoxicity on a par with the H2O2-treated groups. This indicated that the aqueous and methanol leaf extracts did not influence the cytotoxic action of H2O2 in the cancer cells. Thus, various apoptosis-related events in Hep2 cells exposed to leaf extract throw light on the potential anticancer activity of the Z. mays leaves. The maximum activity was exerted by the methanolic extract followed by the aqueous and chloroform extracts.