Evaluation of Cytotoxic Effect of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

Due to its history of various biological effects, M. oleifera, which is a multipurpose tree that has been widely used in India in traditional medicine, has been a focus of interest for many researchers. Nowadays it has been given several names as a “miracle tree”, “natural gift” or “mother’s best friend”, because of its high nutritional contents. Moringa oleifera leaves are generally the most commonly used part of the plant, as it contains the highest vitamins, iron, amino acids, minerals and proteins. Moringa oleifera leaf extract was found to have successful anti-proliferative activities on a variety of human cancer cells grown in tissue culture as well as in animal studies. Cisplatin which is a platinum based drug is considered one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs extensively used for cancer treatment, in particular HNSCC. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Moringa leaf extract on the proliferation and apoptotic profile of one of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HEp-2 cell line) and also investigate the effect of cisplatin on the proliferation and apoptotic profile of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line. The study utilized cytotoxicity assay (MTT assay) as a preliminary test to identify the effect of different MOE and cisplatin concentrations (half IC50, IC50 and double IC50) over different durations (24 and 48 hours) on the viability of HEp-2 cells.