International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 2 (4), pp. 001-009, April, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Syzygium cumini (pomposia) active principles exhibit potent anticancer and antioxidant activities

Abd El-Moneim M. R. Afify¹, Sayed A. Fayed¹, Emad A. Shalaby¹ and Hany A. El-Shemy^1,2*

¹Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, 12613 Giza, Egypt.

²Biochemistry Department and Faculty of Agriculture Research Park (FARP), Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University 12613 Giza, Egypt.

Accepted 14 January, 2012

Abstract

The antioxidant and anticancer activities of Syzygium cumini fruit extracts were investigated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging assay and viability of leukemia cancer cells (AML cell line) respectively. The successive extracts, hexane, chloroform, ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water were prepared and subjected to antioxidant and anticancer evaluation. The results showed that the ethanol extract had stronger antioxidant and anti- leukemia activities than the other ones. Spectroscopic methods data of active ingredients separated from ethanol extract indicated that S. cumini fruit extracts contained phenolic compounds, such as Kaempferol 7-O-methylether and sterols such as -Sitosterol responsible for their antioxidant and anticancer activities. A significant linear relationship between anticancer potency, free radical-scavenging ability and the content of active compounds of fruit extracts supported this observation.

Key words: Anticancer, antioxidant, successive extraction, Syzygium cumini.