Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate both the cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extracts (T), and both n-butanol (B) and total glyco-alkaloid fractions (TGA) of Solanum seaforthianum Andr. (SS) and Solanum macrocarpon L. (SM) growing in Egypt. Cytotoxic activity was measured using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay on prostate cancer cell line (PC-3), breast cancer cell line (MCF7), liver cancer cell line (HepG2) and human fibroblast cell line (HFB4) while anti-inflammatory activity was measured using formalin induced paw edema method. The highest cytotoxic potentiality was indicated for those of TGA fraction of S. seaforthianum Andr. on PC-3 cell line (IC₅₀ = 0.28µg/ml ± 0.01) followed by its activity on MCF-7 cell line (IC₅₀ = 2.84 µg/ml±0.20). On the other hand, the potency of TGA fractions of both species showed higher potency followed by n-butanol fractions where ethanol extracts showed lowest potency which is emphasizing the cytotoxic potentiality of the glyco-alkaloids.  Based on the IC50s indicated for the different extracts and fractions on normal fibroblast cell line, considerable safety was indicated against prostate carcinoma rather than breast or hepatic carcinoma. TGA fraction of S. macrocarpon L. and of S. seaforthianum Andr. showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity with efficacy of 159 and 156%, respectively as compared to standard indomethacin. That’s why the TGA fraction of S. seaforthianum Andr.  was subjected for isolation of individual alkaloids using different chromatographic techniques and identified using ¹H and ^13-CNMR spectroscopy beside Co-chromatography with authentic samples as solamargine (A₁), solasonine (A₂) and solasodine (A₃) which are firstly isolated from S. seaforthianum Andr. growing in Egypt.

Key words: Solanum seaforthianum, Solanum macrocarpon, glyco-alkaloid, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, SRB.