Cytotoxicity of Vinca minor.

Abstract

Vinca minor L. (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that has long been used to treat cerebral and memory disorders in European folk medicine. Furthermore, it contains more than 50 alkaloids, some of them having bisindole structure such as the antineoplastic alkaloids present in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae). In this study, the plant's alkaloid extract was divided into three fractions and the cytotoxic effects on cell proliferation of HT-29, Caco-2, T47D, and NIH/3T3 cell lines were examined. All alkaloid fractions showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on the cell lines. IC(50) values confirmed that the growth and proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells were less affected in comparison to other cell lines.