Cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. extract.

The current research was designed to evaluate the phytochemical contents, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of Emex spinosa extracts. The different plant extracts and Aloe-emodin glucoside were screened using the colorimetric MTT method (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazo-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide) assay to test their in vitro cytotoxic activity against HepG2, MCF-7, Caco-2 and HCT. The clinically used anticancer drug doxorubicin was used as standard for comparative purposes. Anthraquinones (Aloe-emodin-O-glucoside, Emodin and nataloin (1, 2, 8-trihydroxy, 6-methyl, 10-anthrone-C-glucoside) together with β-sistosterol and β-sitisterol-O-β-D-glucoside were isolated from Emex spinosa. Aloe-emodin glucoside together with four fractions from this plant were evaluated for their anticancer and antimicrobial activities. Aloe-emodin glucoside showed anticancer activity against HCT, HepG-2, MCF-7 and Caco-2 cell lines. The total ethanol extract of E. spinosa and diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol fractions shown antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Bacillus subtilis.