ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF LEAFLESS MISTLETOE (VISCUM ANGULATUM) FROM WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA

Phenolics have been shown to attenuate the initiation and progression of cancer. Owing to the parasitic nature, mistleoes are a rich source of phenolics and flavonoids. European mistletoe (Viscum album) formulations provide the first line of treatment for cancer by stimulating the immune system and improve the quality of life. In fact, host-associated variation has been shown to affect the therapeutic potential of the V. album preparations. Leafless Mistletoe (Viscum angulatum), a hemiparasitic plant of the Western Ghats widely used in folk medicine, contains diverse phytochemicals having anti-inflammatory properties. However antioxidant and anticancer potential of Viscum angulatum is still not investigated. In the present study, we analyzed the contents of total phenolics (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), antioxidant potential and cytotoxic potential of extracts of leafless mistletoe plants parasitic on two different host trees, Olea dioica and Flacourtia indica. The whole plant of leafless Mistletoe was extracted in organic solvents (methanol and ethanol) and water (aqueous) using rotary evaporator. In the methanolic extract, TPC of plants parasitic on O. dioica was higher than that of F. indica, however, in ethanolic and aqueous extracts, TPC of plants parasitic on O. dioica was lower than that of F. indica. Interestingly, the pattern of antioxidant activity truly corresponds with that of TPC. In both methanolic and ethanolic extracts, the TFC of the plants parasitic on O. dioica was lower that of F. indica. The plants parasitic on O. dioica, showing high antioxidant activity also showed high cytotoxicity (LC₅₀ – 79.33 µg/ml) on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The study provides experimental evidence on the anticancer potential of the V. angulatum plant. It also suggests the involvement of host tree in determining the therapeutic potential of V. angulatum which needs to be established further.