A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master’s in Life Sciences of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and
Technology
The medicinal plants Annona senegalensis Pers. and Allophylus africanus P Beav. are
traditionally used for the treatment of cancer in Tanzania. However, there is no scientific
documentation on their therapeutic effectiveness. To evaluate the anticancer potential of A.
senegalensis and A. africanus plant species from Tanzania, stem bark of the two plants were
collected from Ugweno village at Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Pulverized plant materials were
soaked in dichloromethane/methanol (DCM:MeOH), petroleum ether (PE), DCM, ethyl
acetate (EtOAC), MeOH and water to obtain DCM-MeOH, PE, DCM, EtOAC and MeOH
extracts respectively. Anticancer activity against breast (HCC 1396), throat (HEp- 2) and
colon (CT 26) cancer cell lines was assessed by the MTT cell viability assay. Results showed
that anticancer activity varied between plant extracts and the cancer cell lines. The highest
anticancer activity was achieved with A. senegalensis petroleum ether extract against HEp-2.
The findings justify traditional use of A. senegalensis and A. africanus in treatment of cancer.
This study found petroleum ether extract of A. senegalensis to have high potential for
development of an anticancer agent against throat cancer. Further studies involving the
isolation of pure anticancer compounds from the two plants are recommended to elucidate
bioactive molecules with anticancer activity.