Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Activity of Moringa Leaf Extract Nanocrystal on MCF-7 Cells In Vitro

Abstract

Moringa leaves are known as a rich source of antioxidants and are widely used as anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer agents. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with the number of cases increasing each year. One of the side effects of current breast cancer therapies is the production of high levels of oxidative stress. The use of herbal materials such as moringa leaves is considered more effective because of their high content of bioactive compounds as anti-cancer agents without causing harm to normal cells. However, their application is limited by low bioavailability. Therefore, moringa leaf extract was prepared in the form of nanocrystals (NcML) using the top-down method to enhance its bioavailability as an anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agent. The anti-cancer activity was assessed by cytotoxicity, senescence, and cell cycle distribution in MCF-7 cells. NcML was toxic to 11% of MCF-7 cells at 1 mg/mL and induced senescence up to 76.05%, with cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. The anti-inflammatory activity was observed by antioxidant activity, showing 43.68% inhibition in the DPPH assay and 85.65% inhibition of BSA denaturation at 4 mg/mL. Thus, moringa leaf extract in nanocrystal form exhibits anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities with potential therapeutic benefits.