Is sacred animal (Asian Elephant) can be a medicinal repository: a new approach for colon cancer treatment using the methanolic extracts of the dung samples and their valuation for antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and apoptotic actions.

BACKGROUND

As well as the aesthetic and sacred value, the (Asian Elephant) animal is known to have several medicinal properties due to its components and a wide range of therapeutic properties present in their products.

METHODS

For the first time, we aimed to determine the methanolic extracts obtained from the undigested food (dung) or feaces samples of for the evaluation of biomedical applications with the qualitative estimation of their phytochemicals, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis.

RESULTS

The presence of important phytochemicals indicates the clear existence of secondary metabolites in the methanolic extracts obtained from the undigested food (dung) samples of the Asian Elephants. From the GC-MS analysis, the total peaks revealed 26 main peak areas with various percentages of identified compounds. Furthermore, the methanol extracts showed moderate to highest inhibitory activity against the experimental microorganisms, utilizing the antimicrobial susceptibility studies. Further, the methanolic extracts showed a cytotoxic effect against the human colon cancer HCT-116 cell line. The highest half maximal inhibitory concentration activity (IC value) was recorded at a concentration of 320 µg/mL of concentration with 82% inhibition of HCT-116 cells. The treatment of HCT-116 cells with the samples at the concentrations of 80 µg/ml and 160 µg/mL showed Gap 2 phase or Growth 2 phase (GM) arrest from 0.95% (control) to 1.52% and 1.44%, respectively. Similarly, the methanolic extracts treated at 80 µg/ml and 160 µg/ml have induced early and late apoptosis in HCT-116 cells with 1.72% and 5.09% of early apoptosis; 9.63% and 17.37% of late apoptosis, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained from the above-mentioned studies related to antimicrobial, cytotoxic, cell cycle, and apoptotic activities of the dung samples of the Asian Elephants indicate that these undigested food (dung) samples are a “rich and promising organic source” that can be used as repository drugs or medicines in the field of biomedical applications, and pharmacological industries.