Samaneh Rahamouz-Haghighi - Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Neda Mohsen-Pour - Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential toxicity of acetonic and methanolic extracts derived from the Euphorbia esula L. plant on various cell lines of human colorectal cancer (HCT۱۱۶ and SW۴۸۰), human embryonic kidney normal cells (HEK۲۹۳), Artemia salina larvae, and its bactericidal effects. The cytotoxic effect of E. esula extracts on cell lines was performed using the MTT assay. In vitro toxicity and biocompatibility of extracts were also evaluated on A. salina and red blood cells by hemolysis test, respectively. The ability of the extracts to inhibit bacterial growth was examined by using the disc diffusion method, as well as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) using the microtiter broth dilution method. Results showed acetonic extract contains the highest concentration of flavonoid (۱۶.۱۷ µg Qu/mg) and phenol (۳۴.۸۴ µg GA/mg) compared to methanolic extract. The anti-proliferative effects of acetonic extract had the highest effect on HCT۱۱۶ and HEK۲۹۳ with IC۵۰ of ۶۴.۸۰ µg/mL and ۴۷.۸۲ µg/mL at ۷۲h, respectively. The hemolysis degree of the methanolic extracts was <۲% at ۴۰۰ μg/mL. LC۵۰ for the acetonic and methanolic extracts exhibited moderate and low toxicities on the brine shrimp larvae, with LC۵۰ of ۳۸۱.۹۶۹ µg/mL and ۱۹۰۵.۷۷ µg/mL, respectively. The bactericidal effect of ۵۰ mg/mL acetonic extracts showed a clear zone inhibitory growth on Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae with ۳۴ mm and ۳۵mm at the MIC and MBC values of ۱۰۰۰ and ۲۰۰۰ mg/mL, respectively. These findings could help to elucidate the anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and toxic properties of E. esula extracts.

Antibacterial assay, Artemia salina, Brine shrimp, Colorectal cancer, Euphorbia esula, Selectivity index