Anticancer potential of Thevetia peruviana fruit methanolic extract

Abstract Background: Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum or Cascabela peruviana (L.) Lippold (commonly known as ayoyote, codo de fraile, lucky nut, or yellow oleander), native to Mexico and Central America, is a medicinal plant used traditionally to cure diseases like ulcers, scabies, hemorrhoids and dissolve tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic, antiproliferative and apoptotic activity of methanolic extract of T. peruviana fruits on human cancer cell lines. Methods: The cytotoxic activity of T. peruviana methanolic extract was carried out on human breast, colorectal, prostate and lung cancer cell lines and non-tumorigenic control cells (fibroblast and Vero), using the MTT assay. For proliferation and motility, clonogenic and wound-healing assays were performed. Morphological alterations were monitored by trypan blue exclusion, as well as DNA fragmentation and AO/EB double staining was performed to evaluate apoptosis. The extract was separated using flash chromatography, and the resulting fractions were evaluated on colorectal cancer cells for their cytotoxic activity. The active fractions were further analyzed through mass spectrometry. Results: The T. peruviana methanolic extract exhibited cytotoxic activity on four human cancer cell lines: prostate, breast, colorectal and lung, with values of IC50 1.91 ± 0.76, 5.78 ± 2.12, 6.30 ± 4.45 and 12.04 ± 3.43 μg/mL, respectively. The extract caused a significant reduction of cell motility and colony formation on all evaluated cancer cell lines. In addition, morphological examination displayed cell size reduction, membrane blebbing and detachment of cells, compared to non-treated cancer cell lines. The T. peruviana extract induced apoptotic cell death, which was confirmed by DNA fragmentation and AO/EB double staining. Fractions 4 and 5 showed the most effective cytotoxic activity and their MS analysis revealed the presence of the secondary metabolites: thevetiaflavone and cardiac glycosides. Conclusion: T. peruviana extract has potential as natural anti-cancer product with critical effects in the proliferation, motility, and adhesion of human breast and colorectal cancer cells, and apoptosis induction in human prostate and lung cancer cell lines, with minimal effects on non-tumorigenic cell lines. Keywords: Cytotoxic activity, Anti-proliferative activity, Motility, Apoptosis, Human cancer cells, Flavonoid, Cardiac glycoside

Access to rural banking credit by agribusiness investors in Ahiazu Mbaise local government area of Imo state: Issues for extension and empowerment policies

This paper examines access to rural banking credit by agribusiness investors and issues for policies in Ahiazu Mbaise local government area of Imo state. The work is important because the existence of limited access of agribusiness investors to formal rural banking credit and extension services is provided by extension agents is a problem and needs solution. Random samples of 80 agribusiness investors were chosen for the study. A set of structured questionnaire and unstructured interview was used in collecting data from the respondents. Data were analyzed using simple statistical tools such as frequency distribution and percentages. Result shows that majority of agribusiness investors were married and had at least primary education. 68 percent had at least 11 years of agribusiness experience and are within the age range of 41-50 years.About 49 percent had personal income as a major source of agribusiness finance. 51 percent had savings and 58.75 percent had income between N5000-N3400 per annum. Sixty percent had household size of 4-6 persons. Twenty six percent had access to formal rural banking credit. Thirty eight percent of the respondents with access to formal rural banking credit were assisted by extension agents during credit processes. This paper therefore recommended that there be greater level of collaboration between formal rural financial sources of credit and extension agents. Extension policies that will facilitate the funding and training of extension agents should be intensified so as to redirect extension back to its traditional role of educating these investors for optimal agribusiness investment performance.Keywords: Access, Rural banking, Agribusiness Investor, Empowermen