Indonesian Micromelum minutum Leave Extracts and Their Cytotoxic Activities toward Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Isolation and identification of compounds and pharmacological activity of Micromelum minutum grown in some countries has been done, but M. minutum from Indonesia has not been studied yet, either phytochemically or pharmacologically. The objective of this study was to determine the cytotoxic activity of Indonesian M. minutum leave extracts toward MCF-7 and 4T1 breast cancer cell lines. The leaves were obtained from M. minutum grown in Bantimurung National Park, Bulusaraung, South Sulawesi. They were macerated gradually in hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained extracts was determined by MTT assay. The extraction yielded hexane (HEM), ethyl acetate (EEM), and methanol (MEM) extracts of 2.65, 6.12, and 6.49%, respectively. HEM was the most active extract, with IC50 values of 148 and 87 μg/mL on MCF-7 and 4T1 cells, respectively, followed by EEM (185 and 170 μg/mL). MEM possessed weak potency, with an IC50 value of 384 μg/mL on MCF-7 cells, and was not toxic toward 4T1 cells. Therefore, HEM is important to be further investigated for its active constituents.