In vitro anticancer activity of Pridhu Nimba Panchaka Churna on liver cancer cell line HepG2 using sulforhodamine B assay
Aniswa Chauhan, Bhaktiben Dipakkumar Kapdi, Varsha R. SolankiAbstract
Background:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with treatment often constrained by toxicity, drug resistance, and recurrence. Pridhu Nimba Panchaka Churna, a classical Ayurvedic polyherbal formulation indicated for Gara Visha, comprises medicinal plants with reported anticancer properties, though its efficacy has not been scientifically validated.
Objective:
To evaluate the in vitro anticancer activity of Pridhu Nimba Panchaka Churna against the human HepG2 liver cancer cell line using the Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay.
Materials and Methods:
The formulation was prepared per classical Ayurvedic guidelines and characterized pharmacognostically and phytochemically. HepG2 cells, cultured in DMEM with 10% FBS, were treated with the formulation at 100–1000 µg/mL for 24 hours. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the SRB assay, with doxorubicin (2.5 µM) as the positive control. Cell viability, percentage inhibition, and IC₅₀ values were determined.
Results:
The formulation showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, with inhibition rising from 17.5% (100 µg/mL) to 80.7% (1000 µg/mL) and viability declining correspondingly from 82.5% to 19.3%. The IC₅₀ was 420 µg/mL. Doxorubicin produced 75% inhibition with an IC₅₀ of 0.00091 µg/mL, confirming its markedly greater potency.
Conclusion: