Abstract

The use of natural products against some prevalent ailments in human beings and household animals is a common phenomenon in both developed and developing countries. So, documentation of this indigenous system of knowledge is important because with the demise of the present traditional medical practitioners this treasure house of knowledge would become extinct. Oxidative stress disorders dangerously lead to malignant tumors, diabetes and other severe disease conditions. In the present study antioxidant property using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay and in vitro cytotoxicity screening using Dalton’s lymphoma ascites cells were used to choose the bioactive solvent extract of Areca catechu for anti-cancer screening and phytochemical profiling. In the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay aqueous extract was highly efficient with least half-maximal inhibitory concentration value (53 μg/l) and in in vitro cytotoxicity screening, maximum cytotoxicity (89 %) was attained at a concentration of 200 μg/l of ethanolic extract and minimum half-maximal inhibitory concentration value was showed by aqueous extract (38 μg/l). So the ethanolic and aqueous extracts were selected for the in vivo anti-cancer screening. The plant extract was found to be non-toxic in the dose of 250 mg/kg body weight of the mice. In vivo anti-cancer efficiency of the medicinal plant was screened via ascites tumour and solid tumour models. Treatment of Areca catechu ethanolic and aqueous extracts at different concentrations increased the survival rate of animals in ascites tumour and suppressed the development of solid tumour. The result was compared with the commercial drug cyclophosphamide. The aqueous extract was very efficient as an anti-tumour agent and caused 71.9 % of increase in life span in 100 mg/kg concentration. The percentage of life span increase in cyclophosphamide treated animals was 72.5. So, the plant extract was almost equally important to commercial drug in increasing the rate of survival of the affected animals. The volume of solid tumour in control group on 35^th d was (4.550±0.622) mm while in case of aqueous root extract in 100 mg/kg concentration was (0.48±0.92) mm on the same day. The value shown by the standard drug (0.643±0.111) mm was more than that of the aqueous extract at 100 mg/kg. So, the aqueous extract of Areca catechu was subjected to high resolution liquid chromatograph mass spectrometric analysis. 14 compounds were identified through this analysis. That includes mitoxantrone, artemether, valporic acid, leupeptin etc., which proves the medicinal applications of Areca catechu root.