Chemical Profiling and Therapeutic Evaluation of Standardized Hydroalcoholic Extracts of <i>Terminalia chebula</i> Fruits Collected from Different Locations in Manipur against Colorectal Cancer

• Published in: Molecules
• Main Authors: Soibam Thoithoisana Devi, Khaidem Devika Chanu, Nameirakpam Bunindro Singh, Sushil Kumar Chaudhary, Ojit Singh Keithellakpam, Kshetrimayum Birla Singh, Pulok K. Mukherjee, Nanaocha Sharma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
• Subjects: <i>Terminalia chebula</i> Retz.; north east India; GC-MS; HPTLC; cytotoxicity; HCT 116
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/7/2901
• ISSN: 1420-3049

<i>Terminalia chebula</i> Retz. (Fam. Combretaceae), locally called Manahei, is a well-known medicinal plant that grows wildly in Manipur, a Northeastern state of India. It is used as a mild laxative, an anti-inflammatory agent, and a remedy for piles, colds, and ulcers by ethnic communities of the state. The hydroalcoholic extract obtained from four fruit samples of <i>T. chebula</i> collected from different locations in Manipur were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) for their chemical constituents and evaluated for their anticancer activity against the colon cancer cell HCT 116. GC-MS analysis results indicated significant variation in the composition and percentage of major compounds present in the extracts. 1,2,3-Benzenetriol was the most abundant chemical constituent present in all four extracts of <i>T. chebula</i>, ranging from 20.95 to 43.56%. 2-Cyclopenten-1-one, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and catechol were commonly present in all extracts. Two marker compounds, gallic acid and ellagic acid, were also quantified usingHPTLC in all four extracts of <i>T. chebula</i>. The highest content of gallic acid (22.44 ± 0.056 µg/mg of dried extract) was observed in TCH, and that of ellagic acidwas found in TYH (11.265 ± 0.089 µg/mg of dried extract). The IC₅₀ value of TYH for the DPPH and ABTS assays (12.16 ± 0.42 and 7.80 ± 0.23 µg/mL) was found to be even lower than that of Trolox (18 ± 0.44 and 10.15 ± 0.24 µg/mL), indicating its strong antioxidant properties among the four extracts of <i>T. chebula</i>. The MTT assay determined the effect of <i>T. chebula</i> extracts on the viability of HCT 116 cells. TYH showed the highest activity with anIC₅₀ value of 52.42 ± 0.87 µg/mL, while the lowest activity was observed in TCH (172.05 ± 2.0 µg/mL). The LDH assay confirmed the cytotoxic effect of TYH in HCT 116 cells. TYH was also found to induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in HCT 116 cells after 48 h of treatment. Our study provides insight into the diversity of <i>T. chebula</i> in Manipur and its potential activity against colon cancer.