In vitro ANTI- CARCINOGENIC ACTIVITY OF Lactuca sativa ON ORAL CANCER CELL LINES

Introduction: Lettuce, known as Lactuca sativa is a leafy vegetable belonging to the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is available in many varieties and is said to be a rich source of Vitamin K and Vitamin A. It is an ingredient used in various salads and foods and is said to have a lot of nutrients. It is used as a weight loss vegetable and is also referred to as ‘rabbit food’. Lettuce is very low in calories but is an excellent source of Vitamin A and beta carotenes which have antioxidant properties. The minerals present in lettuce are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. It also contains essential vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and Vitamin E.

Aim: The main objective of this study is to analyse the In-vitro anti-carcinogenic activity of Lactuca sativa extract on oral cancer cell lines.

Materials and Methods: The extract of Lactuca sativa was prepared by crushing the leaf and mixed with suitable solvents. The assay used for this research is MTT assay.

Results and Discussion: In this experiment, the cell inhibitory action is taken into account. The drug tamoxifen is taken as the positive control. As we can see, the cell inhibition increases as the concentration of the extract increases. Hence the extract gives an anti-carcinogenic activity on the oral cancer cells.

Conclusion: The plant Lactuca sativa has anti-carcinogenic activity on oral cancer cells. Hence it can be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of cancer.