Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Peganum harmla L. (Zygophyllaceae) is one of the components of an ethnobotanical preparation used in the treatment of neoplasms in Iran. β -carboline alkaloids like harmaline and harmine are the major constituents of P. harmla L. seeds extract. MTT-colorimetric assay was used in this study to investigate cytotoxicity of P. harmala seeds extract and its β -carboline alkaloids against HFFF-P16, Hela and KB cell lines. In this method, the yellow tetrazolium salt MTT is converted by mitochondrial dehyrogenases of metabolically active cells to an insoluble purple formazan product. Absorbance of formazan after dissolving in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) can be measured at 570 nm. In cytotoxicity assays against HFFF-P16, Hela and KB cell lines, the order of potency was harmine>harmane>harmaline.extract. Harmine and harmaline content of the extract were determined using an HPTLC method and it appears that the biological activity of the extract can be explained by its harmine content.