Figure 3

Photomicrographic images of the cancer (HCT 116 and MCF-7) and normal (HUVEC and CCD-18Co) cell lines taken under an inverted phase-contrast microscope at × 200 magnification with a digital camera at 48 hours after treatment with the active extracts of the selected Sudanese plants. The controlled cells showed a fully confluent growth with the compact layer of proliferating cells. Whereas, treatment with the active extracts caused a drastic reduction in the density of cell-population however, treatment with the extracts did not produced significant cytotoxicity against the tested normal cells (HUVEC and CCD-18Co) when compared to the negative control group. The picture revealed that the cells revealed sever morphological changes in their native cellular characteristics. Treatment caused the cells to lose the psuedopodial like membrane projections. Higher magnification of the photomicrographs revealed several clear features of apoptosis, such as the membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation and apoptotic bodies in the treated cells.