In vitro cytotoxicity of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn extracts on A549 lung cancer cell line

Background: Lung cancer is the one of the leading causes of cancer death. However, current treatments for lung cancer are expensive and show negative side effects. Therefore, the study concerning natural anticancer from plants has intensified. Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn are Indonesian herb plants which have been consumed as a drink, are known to have anticancer activity against several cancer cell lines. However, its potential cytotoxic activity on A549 lung cancer cell line is still unclear. Objective: This study aimed to identify cytotoxic activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn extracts on A549 lung cancer cell line. Materials and Method: Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn flowers from Tangerang, province of Banten, Indonesia, were macerated in three different solvents: ethyl acetate, ethanol, and n-hexane. Afterwards, cytotoxic activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn extracts on A549 lung cancer cell line were evaluated using MTT assay. There were eight variety of concentration of the extracts, the experiment has been done triplicate for each concentration. The anticancer activity is expressed by IC₅₀ value. Results: Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn extracts in ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane showed IC₅₀ value of 374.01 μg/mL, 719.28 μg/mL, and 906.57 μg/mL respectively, in which indicated weak cytotoxic activity on A549 lung cancer cell line. Conclusion: Ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn are potential to be further developed as natural anticancer agents.