Cytotoxic activity of Boswellia dalzielii (Hutch) stem bark extract against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (AW8507 cell line)

Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the third most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In the past, several drugs with anticancer effects have been extracted from plants. The present research was designed to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of Boswellia dalzielii Hutch stem bark extract. Boswellia dalzielii is indigenous to West Africa and is used in ethnomedicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders and skin diseases among others. Numerous studies have investigated the antiproliferative effects of its congeners, but studies involving the in vitro cytotoxic effect of B. dalzielii extract are limited. Our objectives were to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the chloroform (CLBD); ethyl acetate (EABD); and petroleum ether (PEBD) fractions obtained from B. dalzielii stem bark ethanolic extract and their effect in the cell cycle of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (AW8507 cells). Cytotoxicity of CLBD, EABD and PEBD on AW8507 cells were revealed by MTT and clonogenic assays. Effects of the fractions on AW8507 cell cycle were investigated by flow cytometry. All the three B. dalzielii fractions were found to inhibit proliferation and colony formation; and arrested the AW8507 cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Keywords: Boswellia dalzielii; Cytotoxicity; Cell cycle arrest.