In Vitro Cytotoxicity Assessment of Leaves of Tieghemella heckelii on Breast (MDA-MB-468), Liver (HepG2), and Prostate (PC3) Cancer Cell Lines

Introduction: Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide, with breast cancer being the most prevalent disease diagnosed globally. Liver cancer is the fourth most common cause of death globally, while prostate cancer accounts for the second most frequent malignancy among males worldwide. The main treatment options for cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The stem bark of Tieghemella heckelii has been exploited for its medicinal properties. On a broader scale, research on the anticancer properties of T. heckelii has not been explored. It is therefore important to investigate the anticancer potential of the leaves of T. heckelii. The goal of the study was to evaluate the in vitro anticancer activities of the leaves of T. heckelii on breast, prostate, and liver cancer cell lines. Methods: The leaves of T. heckelii were collected from Asantemanso, Akim Oda, in the eastern region of Ghana. Authenticity of the leaves was performed at the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology, University of Ghana. Aqueous and ethanol extraction were performed on the leaves of T. heckelii after grinding into fine particles, followed by low-temperature drying. Breast cancer (MDA-MB-468), liver cancer (HepG2), and normal kidney (Vero E6) cell lines were cultured in DMEM media, while prostate cancer (PC3) cell lines were cultured in RPMI medium. Anticancer activity of the leaves of T. heckelii was conducted on breast (MDA-MB-468), liver (HepG2), and prostate (PC3) cancer cell lines. Cell viability was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Results: Both ethanolic and aqueous extracts demonstrated similar cytotoxicity for the HepG2 cell line, with IC₅₀ values of about 200 μg/mL. selectivity index of > 2 was recorded by all cell lines. When compared to other cell lines, the aqueous extract for prostate cancer showed the lowest IC₅₀ value with a selectivity of 8. In addition, the extracts showed less cytotoxic activity against the normal (Vero) cell line. Conclusion: Leaves of T. heckelii possess cytotoxic properties with notable selectivity against prostate (PC3) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines. However, findings should be evaluated in in vivo studies because biological processes can be more complex in living organisms. Further investigation should be conducted to ascertain the bioactive compounds responsible for the anticancer activity.