Cytotoxic Effects of Trifolium pratense, Baptisia australis, and Rubus idaeus Extracts on CHO-K1 Cells

The cytotoxic effects of red clover, blue false indigo, and red raspberry plant extracts were evaluated on CHO-K1 cells. The hormone-dependent CHO-K1 cells are ovarian cells derived from Chinese hamsters. Trifolium pratense (red clover) extracts were obtained from the blossoms and leaves of the red clover plant. Baptisia australis (blue false indigo) extracts were obtained from the roots, stems, and leaves of the blue false indigo plant. Rubus idaeus (red raspberry) extracts were prepared from the fruits of the red raspberry plant. Two methods, soxhlet and microwave assisted extractions, were utilized and evaluated for their effectiveness in producing phyto extracts. Methanol was the solvent used in both methods. In all experiments, the CHO-K1 cell line was exposed to the different extracts for a period of 48 hours. An MTS assay was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the cytotoxic capabilities of each extract at different concentrations on the CHO-K1 cell line. After the collection of all the data, the 1:1 combination of red clover and red raspberry extracts, obtained via soxhlet extraction, yielded the most potent cytotoxic effects on the CHO-K1 cell line.