Cytotoxic effect of Spondias purpurea L. extracts on MCF-7 cells (breast adenocarcinoma) and J774 cells (macrophages, derived from reticular sarcoma)

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and although chemotherapy is widely used, drug resistance and adverse effects limit its effectiveness, making the search for new, safer, more selective, and accessible therapies urgent. Therefore, natural products stand out for their chemical characteristics, such as species of the Anacardiaceae family, especially Spondias purpurea, which is rich in phenolic compounds. Therefore, this study evaluated the in vitro cytotoxicity of ethanolic (EESP) and aqueous (AESP) extracts of the leaves of this species using MCF-7 breast cancer cells, J774 macrophages, and NCTC929 fibroblasts. To this end, S. purpurea leaves were processed and subjected to ethanolic and aqueous extraction. The extracts were evaluated for cytotoxicity and antitumor activity in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, J774 macrophages, and NCTC929 fibroblasts using resazurin-based assays. The results indicated that both extracts exerted significant cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, with the aqueous extract having a greater effect (73.4% cytotoxicity at maximum concentration). In J774 macrophages, cytotoxicity was also significant, especially for EESP, while normal fibroblasts were little affected at low concentrations, demonstrating selectivity. These effects can be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds, known to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. These data suggest that the species represents a promising source of bioactive compounds for the development of new anticancer agents.