Methanol Extract of Coleus amboinicus (Lour) Exhibited Antiproliferative Activity and Induced Programmed Cell Death in Colon Cancer Cell WiDr

Coleus amboinicus (Lour) (CA) has been reported to possess many pharmacological activities. In this study, evaluation of cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and MTT assay using WiDr cell lines was carried out. e expression of several genes responsible for programmed cell death of the methanol extract of CA was also investigated. e morphology of the cells undergoing apoptosis was detected using Hoechst staining assay. e gene expression of BAX, BCL2, P53, Caspase 1, 7, 8, and 9 of treated samples with different concentrations (10, 15, 25 & 50µg/ml) were measured with RT PCR. e phytochemical profiles were investigated using LC MS. e results showed that the lethality concentration (LC50) of methanol extract using brine shrimp was 34.545µg/ml and the extract exhibited good antiproliferative activity against cancer cells WiDr with IC50 value (8.598±2.68µg/ml) as compared to standard drug 5-fluorouracil (IC50 value 1.839±0.03µg/ml). ere was apoptotic evidences from the morphology of treated cells. e expressions of BAX, P53, and Caspase 9 were upregulated in lower concentration of the extract (10 and 15µg/ml) but downregulated in higher concentration (25 and 50µg/ml). BCL2 as anti-apoptotic gene was downregulated in all concentrations. Caspase 1 and Caspase 7 were upregulated in high concentration (25 and 50 µg/ml), but downregulated in lower concentrations. ese data provide a mode of cell death for the methanol extract of CA in low concentrations corresponding to apoptosis with intrinsic pathway. Many valuable compounds identified including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, malic acid, eicosapentanoic acid, benserazide, alpha-linolenic acid, betaine, Salvanolic B, 4-hydroxibenzoic acid and firulic acid have been previously reported as being active agents against many cancer cells. is study suggested that CA might become an effective ingredient for health-beneficial foods to prevent colon cancer.