Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwide, largely due to its complexity, progression, and ability to develop resistance to conventional therapies. This has led to increasing interest in plant-derived compounds as potential sources of alternative therapeutic agents. Crescentia cujete L. (Calabash), a plant widely used in traditional medicine for conditions such as hypertension, respiratory diseases, and infections, is believed to contain bioactive compounds with possible pharmacological effects. However, studies investigating its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and cytotoxic potential of C. cujete fruit extract using the hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay and brine shrimp lethality assay. The antioxidant activity was assessed based on the ability of the extract to scavenge hydrogen peroxide at varying concentrations, while cytotoxicity was determined by exposing A. salina nauplii to different extract concentrations and calculating mortality rates to estimate the LC₅₀ using probit analysis. Results revealed that the extract exhibited a dose-dependent antioxidant activity, with increased hydrogen peroxide scavenging observed at higher concentrations. Similarly, the extract demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects against A. salina, with higher concentrations resulting in increased mortality. The computed LC₅₀ value indicates that the extract possesses notable bioactivity. Overall, the findings suggest that C. cujete L. fruit extract contains compounds with antioxidant and cytotoxic properties, supporting its potential as a candidate for further pharmacological and anticancer research.
Venturan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.