Antiamoebic activity and cytotoxicity of ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus L.

Abstract

Cyperus rotundus L. (Family: Cyperaceae), has a number of pharmacological and biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, cytoprotective, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic and apoptotic, anti-pyretic and analgesic activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica is a major cause of morbidity worldwide, causing approximately 50 million cases of dysentery and 100,000 deaths annually. Intestinal amoebiasis due to the infection of E. histolytica is ranked third on the list of parasitic protozoan infections leading to death behind malaria and schistosomiasis. The purpose of the paper was to investigate the in-vitro antiamoebic activity and cytotoxicity (MTT assay) of ethanol extract of C. rotundus L. (whole plant). The ethanol extract of C. rotundus (whole plant), with different concentration (500, 250 and 125 ppm) and metronidazole concentration (312.5 μg/ml) was investigated in vitro against E. histolyica trophozoites. The result was obtained from C. rotundus whole plant ethanol extract which exhibited 100% mortality within 96 h, at a concentration 500 ppm; this was compared with Metronidazole which gave 96% inhibition at concentration 312.5 µg/ml at the same time. In addition cytotoxicity (MTT assay) with different concentration (500, 250 and 125 ppm) in comparison to triton-x100 (the reference control) which verified the safety of the examined extract with an IC₅₀ less 100 µg/ml. In conclusion, these studies prove the potent activity of C. rotundus against E. histolyica trophozoites in vitro with verified safety evidence for use.

Keywords: In vitro, antiamoebic, Entamoeba histolyica, Metronidazole, cytotoxicity (MTT-assay), Cyperus rotundus (whole plant).