Article: APOPTOSIS-DRIVEN ANTI-LEUKEMIC EFFECTS OF A POLYHERBAL COMBINATION: BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Article Category: Original Research articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.17251

Pages: 59-63

Author: Prerona Boruah *, Sanjay Ghosh Dastidar, Shanmukh Malineni

Abstract: Hematologic malignancies impose a major burden in India; while modern therapies improve survival, toxicity, relapse, and cost limit benefit. We investigated a proprietary Ayurvedic preparation used clinically as a 1:1 mixture of an anti-cancer extract (Can-n-Cer-BC) and a supportive formulation (Detoxigab). Chemical profiling by untargeted LC–MS and in-vitro testing (DPPH scavenging, CellTiter-Glo® viability, and caspase activity) were performed. LC–MS revealed ~35 features across 3.8–17.0 min with a right-tailed distribution. Several high-area library matches resembled siloxanes/organometallics typical of background; these were treated as provisional and reserved for quality control, whereas lower-abundance features were prioritized as putative phytochemicals. Functionally, the combined extract displayed minimal DPPH activity at ?1,000 μg/mL, rising to ~40% at 2,500 μg/mL and ~55–60% at 10,000 μg/mL. In contrast, at 2,500 μg/mL the extract caused a ~90% loss of ATP-based viability (signal ~10% of control) and increased caspase activity to ~135–140% of control. These findings indicate that antioxidant effects emerge only at high concentrations and are unlikely to account for the steep fall in viability; rather, apoptosis appears to be a principal mechanism of action for the mixture, plausibly mediated by multiple low-abundance phytochemicals acting in concert. Quality-control steps (system blanks, targeted MS/MS with internal standards, replicate extractions, and ICP-MS for metals) were implemented to secure chemical attributions. Overall, the Can-n-Cer-BC/Detoxigab combination exhibits potent, caspase-associated anti-leukemic activity in vitro and warrants dose response, selectivity, mechanistic confirmation (e.g., Annexin V/PI ) and bioassay-guided fractionation to define active principles and enable standardized, safe development as a potential adjunct to blood-cancer care.

Keyword: Blood cancer, Ayurveda, polyherbal extract, DPPH, apoptosis, LC-MS, RPMI 8226, caspase 3/7