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Anti-proliferative, apoptosis inducing, and antioxidant potential of Callistemon lanceolatus bark extracts: an in vitro and in silico study

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Abstract

The present study reports anticancer and antioxidant activities of Callistemon lanceolatus bark extracts. Anticancer activity was studied against MDA-MB-231 cells. Antioxidant assessment of the chloroform and methanol extracts showed considerable free radical scavenging, metal ion chelating, and reducing power potential. Chloroform extract exhibited potent inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in MTT assay (IC50 9.6 μg/ml) and promoted programmed cell death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) disruption ability, and nuclear morphology changes were studied using H2-DCFDA, JC-1, and Hoechst dyes, respectively, using confocal microscopy. Apoptotic cells exhibited fragmented nuclei, increased ROS generation, and altered MMP in dose- and time-dependent manner. Chloroform extract upregulated the BAX-1 and CASP3 mRNA expression coupled with downregulation of BCL-2 gene. Further, in silico docking of phytochemicals present in C. lanceolatus with anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein endorsed apoptosis by its inhibition and thus corroborated the experimental findings. Obatoclax, a known inhibitor of Bcl-2 was used as a reference compounds.

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Data availability

The data generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

RK acknowledges financial support from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi in the form of Senior Research Fellowship and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi for Research Associate fellowship (File No. 3/2/3/65/2022/NCD-III). In vitro studies described in the current article are part of a PhD thesis of RK. PPK and AKS acknowledge ICMR and CSIR for financial support in the form of Senior Research Fellowships, respectively. RK and AKP also acknowledge UGC-SAP and DST-FIST facilities of Biochemistry Department, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, Allahabad (Prayagraj), 211002, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ramesh Kumar & Abhay Kumar Pandey

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India

    Ramesh Kumar, Prem Prakash Kushwaha, Atul Kumar Singh & Shashank Kumar

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Contributions

AKP and SK conceptualized the idea. RK performed antioxidant experiments. RK, PPK, and AKS performed anticancer and in silico experiments. RK, SK, and AKP analyzed the data. RK wrote the first draft of the manuscript. AKP and SK critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Abhay Kumar Pandey.

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Kumar, R., Kushwaha, P., Singh, A.K. et al. Anti-proliferative, apoptosis inducing, and antioxidant potential of Callistemon lanceolatus bark extracts: an in vitro and in silico study. Med Oncol 40, 169 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02035-4

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