Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr. and Monodora myristica (Gaertn.) Dunal Extracts Decrease Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity on H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts

Bruno M Moukette; José P Castelão-Baptista; Luciana Ferreira; Ana M Silva; Rui F Simões; Célia Cabral; Constant A Pieme; Jeanne Y Ngogang; Vilma A Sardão; Paulo J Oliveira

doi:10.1155/2021/8858165

Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr. and Monodora myristica (Gaertn.) Dunal Extracts Decrease Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity on H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Feb 22:2021:8858165. doi: 10.1155/2021/8858165. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Bruno M Moukette^{1

2}, José P Castelão-Baptista^{2

3

4}, Luciana Ferreira^{2

4}, Ana M Silva^{2

4}, Rui F Simões^{2

4}, Célia Cabral^{4

5}, Constant A Pieme¹, Jeanne Y Ngogang¹, Vilma A Sardão^{2

4}, Paulo J Oliveira^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 1364, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
² CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, UC Biotech Building, Lot 8A, Biocant Park, Cantanhede 3060-197, Portugal.
³ Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁴ University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal.
⁵ University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Clinic Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal.

Abstract

Materials and methods: Bark extracts of these plants (1 and 25 µg/mL) were added 3 hours before coincubating H9c2 cardiomyoblasts with Dox (0.5 and 1 µM) for 24 hours more. We measured cell mass and metabolic viability, mitochondrial transmembrane potential, superoxide anion content, and activity-like of caspase-3 and caspase-9 following treatment with the extracts and/or Dox. Also, selenium and vitamin C contents were measured in the plant extracts.

Results: The results confirmed that Dox treatment decreased cell mass, mitochondrial membrane potential and metabolic viability, increased mitochondrial superoxide anion, and stimulated caspase-3 and caspase-9-like activities. Pretreatment of the cells with the plant extracts significantly inhibited Dox cytotoxicity, with more significant results at the higher concentration. Measurements of selenium and vitamin C in the extracts revealed higher concentration of both when compared with other Cameroonian spices.

Conclusion: Both extracts of A. lepidophyllus and M. myristica were effective against Dox-induced cytotoxicity, most likely due to their content in antioxidants.