Analysis of the biological effect of Carica papaya leaf extracts on the viability and proliferation of K562 cells

• Autor(a) principal: Canteiro, Beatriz
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Mendes, Maria, Delgadinho, Mariana, Oliveira, Ketlyn, Ginete, Catarina, Gomes, Mário, Ribeiro, Edna, Brito, Miguel, Gomes, Anita
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25758/set.663
• topic: Carica papaya; Hemoglobina fetal; Anemia falciforme; Compostos naturais; Carica papaya; Fetal hemoglobin; Sickle cell disease; Natural compounds

Background – Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder caused by mutations in the β-globin gene that affects the shape and transport of red blood cells in blood vessels, leading to various clinical complications. The pharmacological reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) through compounds such as hydroxyurea (HU), is one of the currently available treatments, however, their safety concerns and expensive cost in low- and middle-Income countries limit their use. In this context, it is essential to study novel HbF-inducing compounds that have scarcer adverse effects and can be widely available, such as Carica papaya leaf (CP) extracts, a medicinal plant with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim of the study – Evaluate the effect of CP methanolic leaf extracts (CPMLE) on biological parameters such as cell proliferation and viability on the K562 cell line. Methods – K562 cells were exposed for 72 hours to CPMLE at 500 µg/mL and for 24 hours to CPMLE (0.5; 50; 100 µg/mL) and HU (25 μg/mL). Cell proliferation and viability after CPMLE exposure were analyzed by cell counting. Results – The results demonstrate that cell proliferation and viability were affected by CPMLE only at the concentration of 500 µg/mL, with no effects being observed at the lower concentrations analysed. Conclusion – Our results showed that CPMLE is not cytotoxic when incubated at concentrations equal to or below 100 μg/mL thus allowing us to explore this compound in the evaluation of its therapeutic potential, in the context of sickle cell anemia treatment.