Original Article V. NEGUNDO, L. CAMARA AND B. VARIEGATA PLANTS LEAF EXTRACT EXHIBIT CONSIDERABLE IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITIES NUTAN BADGUJAR 1 , KINNARI MISTRY 1* , JAGDISH PATEL 2 1 Ashok and Rita Patel Institute of Integrated Study and Research in Biotechnology and Allied Sciences (ARIBAS), New Vallabh Vidyanagar, 388121, Gujarat, India, 2 Department of Biochemistry, P. D. Patel Institute of Applied Sciences, Changa, Anand 388421, Gujarat, India Email: kinnarimistry@aribas.edu.in Received: 14 Feb 2017 Revised and Accepted: 31 Mar 2017 ABSTRACT Objective: The study was planned to investigate antioxidant and anticancer activities with the preliminary phytochemical analysis of methanolic extracts of Vitex negundo (V. negundo), Lantana camara (L. camara) and Bauhania variegata (B. variegata) plants leaf extracts. Methods: Phytochemical evaluation was performed for all the extracts, as per the standard methods. In vitro antioxidant activities were performed by using DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2, 2'-Azino-Bis-3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic Acid) and FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay) method and compared with standard antioxidants. The anticancer activity of plant extract was assessed using MTT colorimetric assay. Results: The study of preliminary phytochemical proved the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic types of phytochemicals in high amount. Methanolic extract of L. camara shows minimum IC50 value for DPPH assay (48.75±2.34 µg/ml) and FRAP assay (274.66±3.65 µg/ml). In ABTS assay B. variegata extract exhibit minimum IC50 value (60.48±3.01 µg/ml). Lower the IC50 value of extract, higher the effectiveness of the plant. Methanolic extract of all plants methanolic extracts showed anticancer activity against SH-SY-5Y cells (human neuroblastoma cell) but V. negundo was more effective against SH-SY-5Y cells with IC50 value (209 µg/ml) compared to remaining extracts. Conclusion: The current finding accomplished the in vitro activities, so that plant could be a superior source of antioxidant and anticancer drugs. But further in vivo assessment was needed before adding it into the pharma industry. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Anticancer activity, Phytochemical screening, V. negundo, L. camara and B. variegata © 2017 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i5.17721 INTRODUCTION Traditional plants are essential resource of valuable drugs and continue to be extensively used to treat many diseases. Discovery of new beneficial agents from plant source has been targeted in recent years. Compounds from natural sources have the beneficial effect which attributes among others, to the elevated level of bioactive compounds [1]. The bioactive molecules known as secondary metabolites produce from different parts of plant that are involved in defense mechanism of plants. Antioxidant component contains moieties which can scavenge free radicals and have reducing power, thus it protects human body from oxidative stress [2]. Antioxidants derived from plants are less toxic, more practical and economical and hence there is emergening interest in natural antioxidants from plant origin [3]. Phenolics and flavonoids are secondary metabolites from plants acts as antioxidant and according to earlier reports they have powerful free radical scavenging activity [4]. A broad variety of antioxidants are projected to be used in the treatment of various diseases from both natural and artificial origin [5]. From the last few decades of life, incidences of many cancers have increased exponentially with time. In the human population globally over six million public die because of cancer each year, representing it to be the leading single reason of death in human population [6]. Many plant sources are used to derive anticancer medicine and about 60% of the medicines are derived from plant origin for example, camptothecin from Cuscutareflxa verma and taxol from Taxus brevifolia [7]. Plant derived drugs having low side effects cause apoptosis and cytotoxicity precise to the cancer cells. The cytotoxic effect of medicinal plants and their phyto-constituents against cancerous cell lines are the evidences of positive helpfulness of medicinal plants for diversity of ailments [8]. V. negundo Linn. (Family Verbenaceae) is a significant plant of the Ayurveda. All parts but leaves of V. negundo is generally used in the indigenous system of medicine. The leaves are used for the treatment of eye-disease, skin-ulcers, toothache, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation, enlargement of the spleen, gonorrhoea, and bronchitis. Against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, V. negundo plant’s leaf extract shown antiasthmatic [9] and anticancer activity [10]. L. camara Linn, (Verbenaceae) has been used to cure a broad range of diseases in many parts of the world [11]. L. camara was used to treat fevers, colds, rheumatism, asthma and high blood pressure [12]. The result of pharmacological study reported that extracts from leaves of L. camara showed strong antioxidant activities [13]. Bark of B. variegata (Leguminosae) is traditionally used as stimulant to cure ulcers and also useful in skin diseases. In the treatment of snake poison the roots are used as an antidote [14]. This plant is also used in folklore medicine to treat several diseases [15]. The current study, therefore reports the phytochemical composition along with their antioxidant and anticancer activities from V. negundo, L. camara and B. variegata plants leaf extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant materials The fresh sample of selected medicinal plant V. negundo, L. camara and B. variegata were collected in August 2013 under the supervision of a botanist from Pune, India. Then all Plant specimens were authenticated and submitted in organ form to Dr. Subhash Sadhu Deokule, Department of Botany, University of Pune, India. Authentication of all plant specimens was done using macroscopic, microscopic, histochemical and phytochemical parameters. Preparation of plant extracts Leaves of selected plants were collected, washed under running tap water and dried by blotting. For preparing dried powder of leaf extract, washed leaves were dried at 40 °C in hot air oven for about 4–5 d and ground to make fine powder. 10 g of powder was taken with 100 ml of methanol and incubated at 20 °C for the cold International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN- 0975-1491 Vol 9, Issue 5, 2017