Abstract

Lantana camara is a reputed poisonous shrub and a notorious weed. Its different parts have exhibited anticancer activity but not considered safe to administer due to its toxicity. In the present work, the fruit extract was studied for its estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity through Ishikawa assay which is an in vitro assay, using human endometrial carcinoma cell line (uterus cancer cells). These results have shown that fraction LC-2 of fruit of L. camara may have interesting compounds with the potential to act as ligands binding the human estrogen receptors, and showing selective estrogen receptor modulator profile through antiestrogenic effect in human uterus cancer cell line. Crude extract had only minute antiestrogenic activity, with no estrogenic and cytotoxic activity observed. Surprisingly, fraction LC-2 which was combination of Vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) fractions 6 to 13 (hydrophilic in nature) had remarkable anti-estrogenic activity. This fraction showed a dose dependent anti-estrogenic activity. Consequently, this is the first report of the possible antiuterus cancer potential of the fruit of L. camara mediated through antiestrogenic activity. Non significant cytotoxic effects of active fraction LC-2 is the most important aspect of this study which encourages further studies to find some interesting antiestrogenic compounds of natural origin.

Key words: Lantana camara, antiestrogenic activity, Ishikawa assay, cytotoxic effects.