Cytotoxic Activities of Extracts and Isolated Compounds of Some Potential Sumatran Medicinal Plants against MCF-7 and HSC-3 Cell Lines

In continuation of our study of Sumatran plants and the bioactivity of their constituents, Stereocaulon halei Lamb (Stereocaulaceae) was extracted and isolated to obtain atranorin ( 1 ), lobaric acid ( 6 ), and methyl- β -orcinol carboxylate ( 9 ). We also prepared methanolic extracts of some Sumatran medicinal plants, i.e. Alpinia denticulata, Alpinia malaccensis, Alpinia submutica, Curcuma zedoaria, Centella asiatia , Mangifera indica, Piper crocatum, Mussaenda frondosa , together with previously isolated compounds, i.e. crocatin A ( 2 ) and crocatin B ( 3 ) from P. crocatum , curcumin ( 4 ) from Curcuma longa , demethoxymatteucinol ( 5 ) from Sphaerostephanos polycarpus , mangiferin ( 7 ) from M. indica , methyl caffeate ( 8 ) from Balanophora elongata , tiliroside ( 10 ) from Guazuma ulmifolia , and usnic acid from Usnea sp ( 11 ). These extracts and compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HSC-3 cell lines by MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). It was found that the IC 50 value of atranorin ( 1 ), lobaric acid ( 6 ), methyl- β -orcinol carboxylate ( 9 ), and methanolic extract of A. submutica towards the MCF-7 cell line was 208.20 µM, 172.05 µM, 382.60 µM and 70.95 µg/mL, respectively. The IC 50 value of lobaric acid ( 6 ) and methyl-β-orcinol carboxylate ( 9 ) against the HSC-3 cell line was 88.92 µM and 260.09 µM, respectively. The other extracts did not show significant cytotoxicity.