The stem ethyl acetate extract of Costus pictus D.DON exhibits cytotoxic activity in human cancer cells via. intrinsic apoptotic caspase pathway as a first report.

The leaves of Costus pictus have been reported to have anti-diabetic properties. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of the entire plant remains to be established. The current objective was to assess the phytochemical content, antioxidant capacity and anti-cancer potential. Three fractions - hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extract were obtained by sequential extraction. The various extracts were phytochemically screened and the effects on cell proliferation was evaluated on cancerous (A-549, HeLa, HT-29, and AGS) and non-cancerous (L-132 and L929) cell lines. C. pictus presented no significant toxic effect in normal cells whereas high cytotoxicity was observed in the stem ethyl acetate extract. The release of LDH and elevated expression of caspase-3, -8, and - 9 activities were observed following 48 h of treatment. Gallic acid, quercetin, kaempferol and rutin were identified by HPLC. Apoptotic inducing compounds like phytol and stigmasterol were also detected using GC-MS. Consequently, C. pictus may hold promise for medicinal applications given its capacity to cause cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. For the first time, our research showed that the stem ethyl acetate extract of C. pictus inhibited the development of HeLa and A-549 cells by activating caspase - 3, -8, and - 9 which can lead to programmed cell death.