ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF EUONYMUS EUROPAEUS FRUITS
EXTRACT ON HUMAN MELANOMA CELLS
BOGDAN SEVASTRE1, ORSOLYA SÁRPATAKI1, ROXANA LIANA STAN2*, MARIAN TAULESCU1, ALEXANDRA CRISTINA SEVASTRE-BERGHIAN2, NELI KINGA OLAH3,4 FLAVIA FURTUNA4, DANIELA HANGANU2, ADRIANA CORINA HANGAN2, MIHAI CENARIU1, IOANA BÂLDEA2
1University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Calea Mănăștur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2“Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babeș Street, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3“Vasile Goldiș” West University, 94 Revoluției Street, 310025, Arad, Romania
4PlantExtrakt Ltd, Rădaia Baciu, Cluj, Romania
*corresponding author: roxanaluc@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
Euonymus europaeus L. (Celastraceae) (EE), known as spindle tree, is a deciduous shrub commonly found all over European
continent, used in traditional medicine for the treatment of ectoparasites. The present study investigates the in vitro anticancer
effects of EE hydro-alcoholic extract prepared from fresh fruits. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the EE extract
content where made by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Cell
Proliferation Assay and Anexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate apoptosis detection where performed on both human melanoma
cell line and normal human fibroblasts, in serial doses ranging from 0.05 μg/mL up to 50 μg/mL, at 6 and 24 hours exposure.
Evodiamine, a potent anticancer compound was found in significant amounts. In vitro melanoma cells were inhibited in a
concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.001), (IC50 = 6.76 μg/mL), and they were almost ten-fold more sensitive than
fibroblasts (IC50 = 53.08 μg/mL). EE had a significant and selective antitumor activity.

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