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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Assessment of the antiproliferative efficacy of the Unani formulation Matbukh Sana on A549 lung carcinoma cells: An in vitro analysis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11135
Submitted
5 August 2025
Published
14-07-2026 — Updated on 29-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

Cancer is a predominant cause of mortality in India and globally. Current cancer treatment has exhibited potentially fatal adverse effects. The researchers are currently investigating natural therapy methods. The Unani style of medicine employs a holistic approach, treating individuals as integrated entities using natural remedies. Unani practitioners have delineated numerous formulas for cancer treatment (Dafiʻ-i-saraṭan) in the human population. These formulations are a mixture of more than one natural ingredient that exhibit anticancer properties. An important Unani drug "Matbukh Sana" (MS) has been selected to investigate its anticancer properties. The drug was subjected to phytochemical screening with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting to establish fingerprinting for future reference. The antioxidant property was estimated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay, with ascorbic acid as comparator. Aqueous (AQ) and hydroethanolic (HE) extracts of MS were utilised to screen the human lung cancer A549 cell line. The antiproliferative efficacy of the examined extracts was evaluated using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay in conjunction with the trypan blue technique, with paclitaxel serving as the standard. The HE and AQ extracts of MS demonstrated cytotoxic effects against the A549 cell line when compared to paclitaxel. The result shown that the activity is dose dependent and increased at higher dose. The DPPH assay showed substantial antioxidant activity by HE extracts as compared to ascorbic acid. The result of the study has confirmed the anticancer and antioxidant potential of the MS. The study is preliminary and further studies for antioxidant potential by different methods may be conducted as well as it may be tested on different cancer cell lines to find its effect on different cancers.

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