Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Alters Oxidative Stress Marker and Antioxidant Activity in Cervical Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women, has a high mortality rate. Cisplatin,an antitumor agent, is generally used for its treatment. However, the administration of cisplatin is associatedwith side effects and intrinsic resistance. Morinda citrifolia (Noni), a natural plant product, has been shown tohave antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Both HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer celllines were treated with 10% Noni, 10 mg/dl cisplatin, or a combination of both 10% Noni and 10 mg/dl cisplatinfor 24 hours. Post culturing, the cells were pelleted and stored at -70oC for malondialdehyde and catalase assays.<br/><b>Results</b>: On treatment with Noni, CP, and their combination, the level of MDA decreased by 0.76 fold, 0.49 fold,and 0.68 fold respectively in HeLa cells; and by 0.93 fold, 0.67 fold, and 0.79 fold respectively in SiHa cells, ascompared to their controls; whereas catalase activity increased by 1.61 fold, 0.54 fold, and 2.35 fold, respectivelyin HeLa cells; and by 0.98 fold, 0.39 fold, and 1.85 fold respectively in SiHa cells. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: A decrease inlevel of lipid peroxidation and an increase in catalase activity were observed with Noni by itself and the effectameliorated changes observed with cisplatin when given in combination.