Antioxidant and cytotoxicity to liver cancer HepG2 cells in vitro of Korarima (Aframomumcorrorima (Braun) P.C.M. Jansen) seed extracts

Abstract

This study examined the total phenolic contents, in vitroantioxidant activity and anti-cancer effect of petroleum ether and aqueous: methanol (20:80, v/v) seed extracts of Aframomum corrorima (Ethiopian cardamom). The aqueous methanol extract contained higher total phenolic content (25 ± 5 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of dried extract and total flavonoid content (19 ± 0.4 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g of dried extract. The extract showed stronger antioxidant activity than the petroleum ether extract, EC50 = 97 ± 4 μg/mL in DPPH radical scavenging assay, and EC50 = 258 ± 15 μg/mL in ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. In the antiproliferative assay, the petroleum ether extract showed stronger (EC50 = 105 ± 7 μg/mL) effect than the aqueous:methanol (20:80, v/v) extract (EC50 = 282 ± 43 μg/mL), on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells when incubated for 24 h. This is the initial report to demonstrate antioxidant activity and anti-cancer in vitro effect of seed extracts of A. corrorima.

Keywords

• aframomum corrorima
• antioxidant activity
• cytotoxicity
• cancer
• phenolic contents