The Anti-tumour effect of Aleurites moluccana on HCT-116 Cells

Abstract Aleurites moluccanus, commonly referred to as the candlenut or candleberry and also known as the Indian walnut, is a flowering tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. The tree produces large, rounded (sub-globose) or slightly two-lobed fruits measuring 4–6 cm in diameter. The initial phase of this study involved phytochemical screening, revealing that the ethanol extract of Aleurites moluccana fruit contains phenolics, terpenoids, tannins, glycosides, and saponins. The presence of these compounds might be responsible for the biological activity. The anticancer activity was tested using HCT-116 cell lines and primary colon epithelial (PCE) cell. Different concentration ranging from 7.8 µg/mL to 1000 µg/mL were tested against each cell lines by MTT assay. Ethanol extract of Aleurites moluccanus fruits showed cytotoxic activity when compared to standard control, Fluorouracil (10 µg/mL). In an MTT-based cytotoxic assay evaluating anticancer activity, the ethanol extract was tested on colorectal cell lines HCT-116 and primary colon epithelial (PCE) cells. Cytotoxicity increased over time, with the highest cytotoxicity observed at 72 hours. The 72-hour treatment exhibits the IC50 of 8.54 µg/mL in HCT-116 cells and 196.72 µg/mL in PCE cells, indicating a potent and time-dependent cytotoxic effect on HCT-116 cells.