The plant
Withania somnifera
(Linn.) (Solanacea) is a well-known herbal medicine used in many
parts of the world. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor as well as neural protective
properties. It seems as if the two most active withanolide components, namely withaferin A and
withanolide D, found in methanol (MeOH) extracts, are responsible for the anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties of the plant. The current research evaluated and compared the cytotoxic potential
of water and methanol extracts of
W. somnifera using a combined crystal violet MTT and Neutral Red
assay. MRC-5 cells, a human embryonic lung-derived diploid fibroblast cell line, were the cells of choice.
We found that the three lowest concentrations (0.007, 0.042, 0.250 μg/ml) of the plant material extracted
in double distilled H
2O and MeOH do not differ significantly in any of the assays. We therefore suggest
that low concentrations of MeOH extracts (up to 0.250 μg/ml plant material) do not cause cell damage to
the MRC-5 cells, however, higher levels should be avoided as cell viability and cell numbers are
negatively influenced.
