Cytotoxic effect of methanolic extracts of vegetative and reproductive parts of Vinca rosea on A431, a human skin squamous carcinoma cell line

Introduction: Vinca rosea, an important medicinal plant, is well-known for its anticancer properties especially against breast cancer. In this study, we compared the cytotoxic effects of methanolic extracts of the vegetative (young and old leaves) and reproductive (flowers) organs of this plant on a human squamous cell carcinoma using MTT assay. Methods: The cytotoxic effects of Vinca rosea's methanolic extracts of young and old leaves as well as flowers were assessed on A431, a human skin squamous carcinoma cell line using different concentrations. To compare the cytotoxicities, cells without being exposed to extracts were used as control. Cells were incubated with plant extracts in triplicate in 96 wells microplates and cytotoxicity was determined by the MTT assay. The experiments were repeated 4 times and IC50 values were calculated. Cell viability was also evaluated by trypan blue staining. Results: A time dependent decrease in IC50 values of extracts was observed during the experimental period, and a significant inhibition in cell proliferation was observed after the exposure of cells to the reproductive part of the plant (flower) after 48 hours of incubation. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the reproductive part of the plant is more effective in reducing cell proliferation compared to the vegetative organ. Moreover, the incubation time can influence the IC50 value and the antiproliferative activity of the methanolic extract of Vinca rosea’s reproductive part.