FORMULATIONS AND EVALUATION OF BETEL LEAF EXTRACT IN CANCER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Chewing betel quid has been linked by several researchers to oral cancer and other potentially harmful conditions of the oral cavity. Conversely, when taken by itself, piper betle leaf may have anti-cancer, anti-helminthic, hepato-protective, and antioxidant properties. In this work, we investigated the anti-cancer properties of aqueous piper betle extract on Hela-cancer cell lines. Piper betle leaf extract was added to the cancer cell lines at escalating concentrations (6.25,12,25,50,100 µg/ml). By looking at the cells under an inverted phase contrast microscope for any discernible changes in cell shape and using the MTT assay method to determine the percentage of viable cells, the cytotoxic effect of the extract on the cells was examined using physical signs of cytotoxic alterations.  The MTT assay results demonstrated that the percentage of cancer cells that were viable declined as the extract concentration increased. The highest concentration of 100µg/ml of Piper betle leaf extract resulted in a 43.42% cell viability rate, demonstrating the anticancer activity of the extract. Piper betle leaf's cytotoxic potential could be utilized to create chemotherapeutic drugs, however more in-depth research on the plant's anticancer qualities and the separation of its constituent components are required to demonstrate its value in cancer treatment.