Sowemimo et al., Afr. J. Trad. CAM (2009) 6 (4): 526 - 528 526 Short Communication ISSN 0189-6016©2009 CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF SELECTED NIGERIAN PLANTS A. Sowemimo 1 , M. van de Venter 2* , L. Baatjies 2 , T. Koekemoer 2 . 1 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, College of Medicine Campus, Idi-Araba, Lagos 2 Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa. *E-mail: maryna.vandeventer@nmmu.ac.za Abstract Cancer is one of the most prominent human diseases which has stimulated scientific and commercial interest in the discovery of new anticancer agents from natural sources. The current study investigates the cytotoxic activity of ethanolic extracts of sixteen Nigerian plants used locally for the treatment of cancer using the MTT assay on the HeLa cell line. Sapium ellipticum leaves showed activity comparable to the reference compound Cisplatin and greater cytotoxic activity than Combretum paniculatum, Celosia trigyna, Drymaria cordata, Cyathula achyranthoides and Cyathula prostata. Justica extensa, Pupalia lappacea, Hedranthera barteri leaves, Alternanthera sessilis, Ethulia conyzoides leaves, Combretum zenkeri root, Sapium ellipticum stembark and Lannea nigritana stembark showed very low activity while Combretum molle, Adenanthera parvoniana and Lannea acida showed no activity. The results justify the use of Sapium, Combretum, Celosia, Drymaria and Cyathula in traditional treatment of cancer. Keywords: Medicinal plants; Cytotoxicity; Cancer; Sapium; Combretum Introduction Plants have formed the basis for the treatment of diseases in traditional medicine systems for many years, and continue to play a major role in the primary health care of about 80% of the world's inhabitants (Farnsworth et al., 1985; Sofowora, 1984; Koduru et al, 2007a). Research interest has focused on various plants that possess anticancer properties and this has led to the discovery and development of efficacious anticancer agents such as vinblastine and vincristine from Catharanthus roseus, and taxol from Taxus brevifolia. (Noble, 1990; Wani et al, 1971). Although the use of ethnomedicines is widespread in Africa, many of these plants are yet to be investigated for their anticancer activity. This paper reports the cytotoxic activity of the ethanolic extracts of sixteen plants against HeLa cervix adenocarcinoma cells. Sapium ellipticum, Combretum paniculatum, Celosia trigyna, Pupalia lappacea, Justica extensa, Hedranthera barteri, Alternanthera sessilis, Ethulia conyzoides, Lannea nigritana, L. acida, Combretum zenkeri, C. molle, Adenanthera parvoniana, Cyathula achyranthoides, Drymaria cordata and Cyathula prostata were selected based on their frequency in recipes for the management of cancer from an ethnobotanical survey of traditional medical practitioners in Western Nigeria. Materials and Methods Plant material All the tested plants collected from the Olokemeji Forest Reserve and from the Campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Nigeria in July 2006 were authenticated by comparison with corresponding herbarium specimens at the Forestry Research Institute, Ibadan, Nigeria (FRIN) where voucher specimens were Afr. J. Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines www.africanethnomedicines.net