Siti Aisyah Mohamad, Thong Chuan Lee, Chia Suet Lin, Nor Naimah Hussin and Noor Suhana Adzahar

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CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF SOLVENT FRACTIONS OF PLUMERIA ALBA FLOWER EXTRACT AGAINST HELA CERVICAL CANCER CELLS 

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Abstract 

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Plumeria alba, a medicinal plant from the Apocynaceae family, is widely recognized for its therapeutic properties. This study evaluated the in vitro cytotoxic activity of distinct solvent fractions (hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate) obtained from the methanolic extract of Plumeria alba flowers against HeLa cervical cancer cells. The methanolic extracts of the flower were tested for cytotoxicity using the MTT assay to measure cellular methanolic activity as a proxy for viability, supported by qualitative morphological observations. Results demonstrated a dose-dependent and time-dependent reduction in  HeLa cell viability across the treatments. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the most potent cytotoxic activity with an IC₅₀ value of 38.43 μg/mL, followed by the hexane fraction (389 μg/mL) and the dichloromethane fraction (>500 μg/mL). Furthermore, microscopic analysis revealed morphological changes consistent with progressive cellular damage, such as cell shrinkage and rounding, which were most prominent in cells treated with the ethyl acetate fraction. These findings suggest that the moderately polar constituents of Plumeria alba possess antiproliferative potential, able to reduce cancer cell viability. These observations making the ethyl acetate fraction a strong candidate for further bioassay-guided isolation of natural therapeutic agents against cervical cancer.

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