Alkaloid rich fraction of Datura alba Rumph. ex Nees leaves possesses antitumor and antimitotic activity

The antimitotic and antitumor activities of total alkaloids extracted from leaves of Datura alba Nees. were investigated using in vitro methods. The plant leaves were collected from local ground of Lahore College for Women University. The antitumor bioassay was performed using potato discs applied with plant alkaloid extract and activity was checked against Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The results demonstrated that the alkaloid rich fraction significantly repressed the tumor growth on potato discs at a concentration of 1000 ppm, giving 84.78% tumor inhibition after 21 days of incubation. The antimitotic bioassay was implemented using Allium cepa root tip bioassay. The findings suggested that the alkaloidal fraction also showed significant antimitotic effect on root tip cells of A. cepa. At 1000 ppm concentration, the alkaloidal extract revealed best antimitotic activity giving reduced (30 ± 0.577%) mitotic index after 72 h of treatment. The outcome of the present experiment, therefore, indicates that Datura alkaloids could be regarded as a potential source for the development of anti-tumor and antimitotic agents. The study could be extended further for drug development against cancers in humans.