In vitro antileukemic activity of euphorbia echinus extract

Aim. Cancer continues to pose a serious threat to human health. Euphorbia plants are rich in phenolics, aromatic esters, steroids and several bioactive compounds. Studies have shown the presence of a large number of bioactive compounds in E. echinus including flavonoids, phenolics, and proanthocyanins. Method. There it was investigated cytotoxic effects of E. echinus methanolic extract on K562, HL60, Ishikawa, Raji and SH-SY5Y cells. Results. The E. echinus extract was found to be highly cytotoxic against HL60 and K562 (79.78 and 76.44% cytotoxicity, respectively). DNA fragmentation was exclusively observed in K562 cells indicating that the reduction of viable cells following treatment with E. echinus extract is due to apoptosis. Conclusions. Our results suggest that E. echinus extract might have a drug potential against leukemic cells.