Purpose: To elucidate the anticancer activity of
Juglans regia
leaf extract and its effect on cell cycle
analysis, apoptosis and cancer cell morphology.
Methods: Hexane extract of the leaves of
Juglans regia was prepared by hot extraction. The anticancer
activity of
Juglans regia extract against human prostate cancer (PC3) cells was evaluated by MTT
assay. Flow cytometry, using propidium iodide as a staining agent, was used to study the effect of the
extract on cell cycle phase distribution. Apoptosis induced by the extract was evaluated by Annexin V
binding assay using flow cytometer. Alterations in cell morphology following apoptosis were studied by
inverted phase contrast microscope.
Results: The extract of
Juglans regia exhibited a potent and dose-dependent anti-proliferative activity
against human prostate cancer cells
in vitro. The extract also induced significant apoptosis in these PC3
cancer cells as revealed by annexin V binding assay as well as inverted phase contrast microscopy. It
triggered a significant formation of apoptotic bodies after treatment with varying concentrations of the
extract. Within 48 h of incubation, approximately 9.5, 15.5 and 26.3 % of the cells underwent early
apoptosis after treatment with 5, 50 and 100 μg/mL of the extract, respectively. Similarly, 5.2, 11.2 and
18.9 % of the cells underwent late apoptosis after treatment with 5, 50 and 100 μg/mL of the extract,
respectively. Treatment with different concentrations of the extract for 48 h induced an increase in the
population of cells in the sub-G1 phase and a slight decrease in the G2/M phase.
Conclusion: The hexane extract of
Juglans regia inhibits growth of human prostate cancer cells by
inducing apoptosis with concomitant alterations in cell cycle phase distribution.
