Study of in-vitro anti-cancer and anti-oxidative properties of methanolic extract of Punica granatum flowers

Phytochemical analysis of the methanolic extract of Punica granatum flowers exhibited prevalence of polyphenolic compounds. Some of these polyphenolic compounds have been known to possess anti-proliferative and antioxidative activity in-vitro. In the current study, the anti-oxidant activity of methanolic extract of P. granatum flowers was studied using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The extract exhibited radical scavenging activity comparable to that of the ascorbic acid as standard. The anti-cancer activity of the extract was studied in-vitro using MTT assay on established cancer cell lines derived from breast, liver, and cervical cancer. The cell lines were exposed to the extract for 24 hours and 48 hours separately to study its anti-cancer activity. The results showed that the extract had anti-proliferative effects on all the cell lines after 24 and 48 hours exposure.