Cytotoxic effect of aqueous decoctions of Tessaria absinthioides, Ilex paraguayensis, Camellia sinensis and its combinations on a murine melanoma cell line.

PASCUAL, LOURDES INÉS; HAPON MB; GAMARRA LUQUES C

San Juan

Congreso; XLI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.; 2023

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Complementary medicine is being increasingly used in Occidental countries. This term refers to medical products and practices that are not part of standard medical care and it includes the use of natural products such as plant derivatives. Its most widespread practice consists in infusions, decoctions, pills and capsules of plant products. It has been previously demonstrated that aqueous decoctions of T. absinthioides (Ta) exhibit antitumoral and antimetastatic effects on murine melanoma. Besides, it was shown that phenolic compounds of Ta have a highly intestinal absorption rate by ex vivo intestinal permeability assay, with an absorption >90% at 120 min. These backgrounds promote the use of Ta in combination with yerba mate (I. paraguayensis, Ip) and green tea (C. sinensis, Cs), two widely diffused infusions in our country, to obtain nutraceuticals products with health benefits. The aim of this work was to study the cytotoxic activity of aqueous decoctions of Ta, Ip, Cs and its combinations at different fractions on murine melanoma B16F0 cell line. Decoctions were prepared by boiling 5 g of dry leaves in 100 mL of water (5% w/v) during 10 min. In order to quantify cell proliferation, the MTT assay was performed in a dose-response experimental design. Cells were treated for 72 h and then, the median effective dose (ED50) and combination index (CI) of the treatments were calculated by the CompuSyn Software. CI values < 1 indicate synergism, CI = 1, additivism and CI > 1, antagonism. Ta, Ip and Cs decoctions inhibited B16F0 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, with ED50 values of 1391.4, 315.1 and 655.8 µg/mL, respectively. The combination of Ta with Ip in 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1 ratios resulted in CI values of 1.99, 1.55 and 0.89 respectively, showing a synergistic effect only when they were merged in 4:1 ratio. This suggests that a major proportion of Ta than Ip benefits the interaction. In contrast, Ta+Cs combination in 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1 ratios, with CI values of 0.43, 0.86 and 0.93 respectively, exhibited a pronounced synergism when both decoctions were combined 1 to 1. These results indicate that Ta and Cs should be merged in equal proportions or using more quantity of Cs than Ta. The present work demonstrates that Ip and Cs aqueous decoctions inhibit murine melanoma cell proliferation and that their cytotoxic effect might be potentiated by the incorporation of Ta, promoting the in vivo study of Ta influence in the bioavailability of Ip and Cs. Finally, these results encourage the production of nutraceutical infusions of I. paraguayensis and C. sinensis with T. absinthioides.