Antitumoral effect of Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth. methanolic extract is mediated by alterations on procaspase-3 and cyclin B expression in prostate cancer cell lines

Cancer is one of the major public health problems of the 21st century. Its incidence is increasing in both developed and low-income countries. This trend is justified by the change in people's lifestyles. Cancer of the prostate is one of major cancer types affecting male population. The present study focused on the use of methanolic extract of Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth. to evaluate total phenolics and flavonoids contents, antioxidant activities, anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects, using ATCC prostate cancer cell lines (22RV1, DU145, C4-2 and RWPE-1). Total phenolics and flavonoids content were estimated using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant potential was evaluated using three methods while cytotoxicity assay, anti-migratory assay and western blot analysis were used for the determination of extracts anti-proliferative activity on prostate cancer cells. Therefore, to assess apoptosis induction in prostate cancer cell lines, the effect of S. hermonthica (Delile) Benth. methanolic extract was investigated on procaspase-3, procaspase-8, and cyclin-B 2 expression. A range of half-dilution concentrations beginning from 500 µg/mL have been prepared to determine the IC 50 in the various tests. Antioxidant compounds were shown to be promising biomolecules, with particular interest in cancer management. Among plant derivative compounds, phenolics and derived molecules have endorsed antioxidant capacities and potential anti-proliferative activities. The best inhibition was obtained on C4-2 cells with an IC 50 = 65.76 µg/mL and a selectivity index of 2.35. The results obtained from this study could partially justify the traditional indications of this plant in the treatment of prostate cancer.