Cytotoxicity and polyphenol diversity in selected parts ofMangifera pajangandArtocarpus odoratissimusfruits

Purpose – Research on cancer chemopreventive properties of fruits has increased in recent years. Polyphenols have been suggested to exert such effects. The purpose of this paper is to determine the cytotoxic activity of Mangifera pajang (bambangan) and Artocarpus odoratissimus (tarap) crude extracts against selected cancer cell lines (i.e. ovarian, liver and colon cancer) and to compare the amount of selected polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavanones, flavonols and flavones) in the kernel, peel and flesh of M. pajang; and the seed and flesh of A. odoratissimus.Design/methodology/approach – Cytotoxicity activity of the extracts are investigated using MTT (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay while polyphenols are determined using high performance liquid chromatography.Findings – The results show that only the kernel and peel extracts from M. pajang display cytotoxic activity in liver and ovarian cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 34.5 to 92.0 μg/ml. The proliferat...