Bio-guided fractionation of methanol extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (bark) and effect of the most active fraction on cancer cell lines

To investigate the anticancer and antioxidant potential of methanol bark extract of Ziziphus mauritiana (Z. mauritiana), which is used by traditional healers to cure some cases of cancer in Cameroon. The methanol crude extract of Z. mauritiana has the antiproliferative activity on four cancer cell lines and its antioxidant activity. The extract was partitioned in five different solvents, and each fraction was tested. The effect of the most antiproliferative fraction on cell cycle was determined. Bio-guided fractionation was performed on the fraction with the highest antiproliferative and the highest antioxidant activities. Z. mauritiana methanol extract was active on all tested cells, and showed promising antioxidant activity. All fractions except hexane fraction were active with the dichloromethane fraction being the most active and showed S and G2-M phase arrest (P<0.01) on cell cycle progression of NCI-H460 and MCF-7, respectively. Bio-guided fractionation of the dichloromethane fraction led to lupeol and betulinic acid. The greatest antioxidant activity was recorded with ethyl acetate fraction and its fractionation led to catechin and epigallocatechin. Overall, this study showed that Z. mauritiana barks has benefits as a chemoprevention agent cancer.