Investigation on the Potential of Sabah Mosses as Antioxidant and Anti-cancer Phytopharmaceutical Products

• Main Authors: Monica Suleiman, Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar Fifilyana
• Format: Research Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sabah 2011
• Subjects: SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/24681/1/Investigation%20on%20the%20Potential%20of%20Sabah%20Mosses%20as%20Antioxidant%20and%20Anti-cancer%20Phytopharmaceutical%20Products.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/24681/

Bryophytes are small, non-vascular plants that indude mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They have been reported to possess various types of biological activities. This study was carried out to evaruate and determine the phytochemicar contents, antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of nine bryophytes species. Four liverworts species, namely, Schistrx:hila aligera, Schistochila acuminata, Lepidozia bomeensis and Lepidozia ferdinandi-muelleri and five mosses species, namely, Sphagnum cuspidatum subsp. subrecurvum, Sphagnum cuspidatulum, Sphagnum junghuhnianum, Pogonatum drratum subsp. fuscatum and Pogonatum cirratum subsp. maa-ophyllum were extracted using 80% methanol, aqueous and ethanol. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were determined using Folin­ciocalteau and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays. Antiproliferative activity against hormone dependent breast cancer (MCJ=-7), non-hormone dependent breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), ovarian cancer (caov3) and liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines were determined by using MTT assay and further evaluated for cell cycle analysis by using flow cytometry. The results showed that the 80% methanol extract of S. acuminata had the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid content with the values of 24.24 :I: 0.92 and 22.09 ± 1.35 mg/g of dry sample, respectively. The 80% methanol extract of S. aligera had the highest free radical scavenging activity with ICso value of 193.33 :I: 30.55 µg/ml. There was no scavenging activity displayed for aqueous and ethanol extracts of all samples. The reducing ability of ethanol extracts of all species was poor compared to 80% methanol and aqueous extracts. Aqueous extract of L. bomeensis displayed the highest reducing ability with a varue of 229.13 ± 0.97 mM for FRAP assay. For ABTS assay, aqueous extracts displayed higher scavenging activity than 80% methanol and ethanol extracts. The findings for antiproliferative activity showed that S. aligera induced cytotoxicity in all tested cells. Among all samples, the extract of L. borneensis, P. dnatum subsp. fuscatum and S. cuspidatum subsp. subrecurvum did not display cytotoxicity against normal cells. L bomeensis and P. drratum subsp. fuscatum induced cell cycle and apoptosis against MCF-7 cells. Statistical analysis showed that there was a correlation between phenolic and flavonoid with antioxidant activities except for OPPH. L bomeensis and P. drratum subsp. fuscatum have the potential as natural antioxidant and anticancer agents.