Anti-tumor and cytotoxic evaluation of Crocus sativus L. stigma and petal extracts using brine shrimp and potato disc assays

Abstract

Background: A growing body of research has confirmed that saffron stigma extract and its main constituents have anticancer properties. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible cytotoxic and anti-tumor activities of the ethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus stigma and petal using simple brine shrimp and potato disc assays. Method: The MIC of stigma and petal extracts were determined using microplate method. In brine shrimp assay, for each concentration, three wells containing 10 larva were tested. After 24h, the number of dead larva were counted. In potato disc assay, discs were cut of potato with specific diameter and transferred onto 1.5% agar under a laminar air cabinet. 50 μl of a mixture containing suspension of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the solution of stigma and petal extracts were inoculated on potato discs in plates. The plates were incubated at 25 C for 21 days, and the tumors were counted. Results: The MIC of stigma extract was 10 mg/ml. The Petal extract did not show any anti-bacterial activity in the of concentration range 1-16 mg/ml. The IC50 values of stigma and petal extracts against tumor were 5.3 and 10.8 mg/ml, respectively. The LC50 values of stigma and petal extracts against brine shrimp were 1678.7 and 1356.8 ppm, respectively. Conclusion: This study indicated that the ethanolic extracts of saffron stigma and petal have anti-tumor activity and the stigma extract has more potent anti-tumor efects than the petal extract but with less toxicity.

Keywords

• croucus sativus l.
• stigma
• petal
• cytotoxic
• brine shrimp
• potato disc
• anti-tumor