In Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Activities of the Cocos nucifera Flower Extract and the Phytochemical Identification by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Analysis

The flowers of Cocos nucifera (L.) have a traditional use as a healer of inflammatory disorders and are available as Ayurveda formulations. But the scientific knowledge on the bioactive phytochemicals and their medicinal effects are lacking. Hence, as a preliminary study, we have extracted the phytochemicals from the flowers of Cocos nucifera(L.) using ethanol and subjected to biochemical tests as well as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis for phytochemical screening. The anti-cancer effect on human lung cancer cell line was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay for 25-200 mu g/ml of the extract and the anti-inflammatory activity for different concentrations (10008000 mu g/ml) of the extract was evaluated using in vitro egg albumin degradation assay. The biochemical tests have indicated the presence of phytosterols and tannins. A total of 152 phytochemicals were reported in the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, which includes several phytosterols and few fatty acids, polyphenols and terpenes. A dose dependent growth inhibitory action (96.15 % by 200 mu g/ml) was exerted on human lung cancer cell line cells by the extract (half-maximal inhibitory concentration value-90.2 mu g/ml). An effective inhibition on protein degradation (>50 %) as an indication of anti-inflammatory activity was exerted by the extract from 1000 mu g/ml and the 4000 mu g/ml treatment has shown a similar action as the 500 mu g/ml of standard anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenacsodium has shown. The secondary metabolites such as quercetinderivative, eugenol, catechol, stigmasterol, campesterol, t-butylhydroquinone identified might have exerted these medicinal effects. This study results thus gives a clear medicinal impact of the ethanol extract of Cocos nucifera(L.) flower by showing a greater anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties for further exploration of its pharmacological importance in the future.