Abstract
Purpose:
The only treatment available for pterygium is surgery, however this procedure faces high recurrence rates. Sedum dendroideum is an endemic mexican plant known to possess high concentrations of flavonoids. We tested the effect of Sedum dendroideum extracts on NIH3T3 and pterygium fibroblasts proliferation rate.
Methods:
Pterygium fibroblasts obtained from human surgically removed samples and NIH3T3 fibroblasts were cultivated with DMEM-F12 media supplemented with 0.2% DMSO. S. dendroideum extracts (methanolic, chloroformic, hexanic, hexane/acetone, and ether) were obtained from dried leaves and stems. Viability assays were performed by triplicate 2 h and 24 h after adding 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 µg/mL of each extract to NIH3T3 fibroblasts cultures. The extract that demonstrated higher proliferation inhibitory activity was tested on pterygium fibroblasts at same time points and concentrations.
Results:
Ether, hexane, and hexane/acetone extracts showed the highest anti-proliferative activity in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. After 2h, ether extract showed an LD50 of 1550 µg/mL, while hexane/acetone showed an LD50 of 2000 µg/mL. After 24 h, ether exhibited an LD50 of 545 µg/mL, hexane of 476 µg/mL, and hexane/acetone of 815 µg/mL. Given that there was no significant difference between ether and hexanic extract activity in NIH3T3 fibroblasts at 24 h (p value = 0.324), ether extract was chosen to be tested in pterygium fibroblasts. This extract showed an LD50 of 1600 µg/mL after 2h, and of 807 µg/mL after 24 h.
Conclusions:
Ether extracts from S. dendroideum plant inhibit the proliferation of NIH3T3 and pterygium fibroblasts. Further analysis of the effect of ether extract on levels of molecules related to pterygium pathogenesis along with the characterization of the extract will provide more information about the potential of this Mexican endemic plant as therapeutic approach for pterygium treatment.