IN VITRO EVALUATION OF THE ANTIDIABETIC AND ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF PANDANUS AMARYLLIFOLIUS ROXB. LEAF EXTRACTS THROUGH α-AMYLASE INHIBITORY AND MTT CYTOTOXICITY ASSAYS

S. Justin Raj*, Mubeena Hamdulla

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. is an aromatic medicinal plant rich in bioactive phytochemicals with potential therapeutic applications. The present study evaluated the in vitro antidiabetic and anticancer activities of the methanolic leaf extract of Pandanus amaryllifolius using α-amylase inhibition and MTT cytotoxicity assays. Antidiabetic activity was assessed by the DNSA method, while anticancer activity was evaluated against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells at concentrations of 20–100 µg/mL. The methanolic extract exhibited concentration-dependent α-amylase inhibition, with inhibition increasing from 23.95% to 86.00% across the tested concentrations, indicating significant antidiabetic potential. In the MTT assay, the extract produced a gradual decrease in cell viability from 98.19% to 84.23%, demonstrating moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells. However, the IC₅₀ value could not be determined since cell viability remained above 50% at the highest concentration tested. The observed biological activities are likely associated with the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, and other phytoconstituents. These findings suggest that the methanolic leaf extract of Pandanus amaryllifolius possesses promising antidiabetic activity and moderate anticancer potential, warranting further phytochemical characterization and in vivo studies.