Cytotoxic Activity of Annona Muricata L, Momordica Charantia L. and Launaea Taraxacifolia Willd. from Benin: A Flow Cytometric Approach

Cancer is a disease that has been found in humans for thousands of years, with traces of tumors discovered in human skeletal dating back to 3,400 BC 1 .Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide due to its epidemiological characteristics and the difficulties associated with its management, particularly in developing countries.Epidemiologically, cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.According to the World Health Organization, cancer alone caused 9.7 million deaths in 2022 2 .In addition, 20 million new cases of cancer were recorded in the same year, and this number is expected to increase by 77% by 2050 2 .On the African continent, approximately 1.2 million new cases of cancer were recorded in 2022, with more than 760,000 deaths 3 .In Benin especially, approximately 7,500 new cases were recorded in 2022, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths 3 .These figures are likely to be underestimated due to several factors specific to our countries, such as limited access to healthcare facilities.Cancers therefore represent a heavy burden for healthcare systems, not only because of its epidemiological characteristics, but also because of the difficulties associated with its treatment.Cancer treatment requires multiple therapeutic resources such as surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and chemotherapy.However, these have several limitations, such as limited accessibility, particularly in developing countries, significant side effects, and the possibility of treatment failure, particularly due to cancer-cells resistance to treatments 4,5 .This situation therefore highlights the need for further research to develop new effective and accessible anti-cancer agents in our countries.In this regard, traditional medicine, particularly medicinal plants, represents a promising area for exploration.Many of the anticancer molecules currently in use are derived from medicinal plants such as vinca alkaloids and taxanes 6 .In Benin, a study conducted by Tohinnou Houeze et al. (2019) identified 112 species traditionally used in the treatment of cancer 7 .Among the most frequently cited species are Annona muricata L., Momordica charantia L. and Launaea taraxacifolia Willd.However, despite their strong therapeutic potential, the traditional uses of these medicinal plants often lack reliable scientific data to prove their efficacy and safety.Furthermore, most studies assessing their cytotoxic activity rely on colorimetric assays, which may lack precision.The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of Annona muricata L., Momordica charantia L. and Launaea taraxacifolia Willd, three plants from the Beninese pharmacopoeia, through a flow cytometry approach.