Antioxidant and cytotoxicity to liver cancer HepG2 cells <i>in vitro</i> of Korarima ( <i>Aframomumcorrorima</i> (Braun) P.C.M. Jansen) seed extracts

Abstract

This study examined the total phenolic contents, in vitroantioxidant activity and anti-cancer effect of petroleum ether and aqueous: methanol (20:80, v/v) seed extracts of Aframomum corrorima (Ethiopian cardamom). The aqueous methanol extract contained higher total phenolic content (25 ± 5 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of dried extract and total flavonoid content (19 ± 0.4 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g of dried extract. The extract showed stronger antioxidant activity than the petroleum ether extract, EC50 = 97 ± 4 μg/mL in DPPH radical scavenging assay, and EC50 = 258 ± 15 μg/mL in ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. In the antiproliferative assay, the petroleum ether extract showed stronger (EC50 = 105 ± 7 μg/mL) effect than the aqueous:methanol (20:80, v/v) extract (EC50 = 282 ± 43 μg/mL), on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells when incubated for 24 h. This is the initial report to demonstrate antioxidant activity and anti-cancer in vitro effect of seed extracts of A. corrorima.