ABSTRACT
Oral administration of red ginseng extracts (1% in diet for 40 weeks) resulted in the significant suppression of spontaneous liver tumor formation in C3H/He male mice. Average number of tumors per mouse in control group was 1.06, while that in red ginseng extracts-treated group was 0.33 (p<0.05). Incidence of liver tumor development was also lower in red ginseng extracts-treated group, although the difference from control group was not statistically significant. Anti-carcinogenic activity of white ginseng extracts, besides red ginseng extracts, was also investigated. In the present study, the administration of white ginseng extracts was proven to suppress tumor promoter-induced phenomena in vitro and in vivo. It is of interest that oral administration of the extracts of Ren-Shen-Yang- Rong-Tang, a white ginseng-containing Chinese medicinal prescription, resulted in the suppression of skin tumor promotion by 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated CD-1 mice. These results suggest the usefulness of ginseng in the field of cancer prevention.
Subject(s)
Anticarcinogenic Agents/pharmacology , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/prevention & control , Panax , Skin Neoplasms/prevention & control , Animals , Female , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C3H , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant RootsABSTRACT
In the course of our continuing search for novel cancer chemo-preventive agents from natural sources, we have carried out a primary screening in vitro assay of the compounds isolated from Aglaia odorata. Consequently, aminopyrrolidine-diamides, odorine and odorinol, were obtained as active constituents. These compounds exhibited potent anti-carcinogenic effects in a two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as a promoter. Further, both compounds showed remarkable inhibitory effects in two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis models induced by nitric oxide (NO) donors such as (+/-)-(E)-methyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-6-methoxy-3-hexenamide (NOR-1) or peroxynitrite as an initiator and TPA as a promoter. From these results, it was concluded that odorine and odorinol inhibited both the initiation and promotion stages of two-stage skin carcinogenesis.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/therapeutic use , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Meliaceae/chemistry , Pyrrolidines/therapeutic use , Skin Neoplasms/prevention & control , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Carcinogenicity Tests/methods , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification , Female , Mice , Mice, Inbred SENCAR , Papilloma/chemically induced , Papilloma/prevention & control , Phytotherapy/methods , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Pyrrolidines/chemistry , Pyrrolidines/isolation & purification , Skin Neoplasms/chemically inducedABSTRACT
Eighteen isoquinoline alkaloids including protoberberines (1-12), benzophenanthridines (13-16) and an aporphine (17) isolated from plants of Corydalis species (Fumariaceae) were tested for inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in Raji cells. In a primary screening test, all of the isoquinoline alkaloids showed inhibitory activity with the IC50 values being in the range of 140-410 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. The data demonstrate that these isoquinoline alkaloids might be valuable as anti-tumor promoters.
Subject(s)
Alkaloids/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Aporphines/chemistry , Herpesvirus 4, Human/drug effects , Isoquinolines/pharmacology , Papaver/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal , Alkaloids/chemistry , Alkaloids/isolation & purification , Antigens, Viral/metabolism , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Aporphines/isolation & purification , Berberine Alkaloids/chemistry , Berberine Alkaloids/isolation & purification , Cell Line , Chemoprevention , Isoquinolines/chemistry , Isoquinolines/isolation & purification , Molecular Structure , Phenanthridines/chemistry , Phenanthridines/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
In a search for anti-tumor-promoting agents, we carried out a primary screening of ten 4-phenylcoumarins isolated from Calophyllum inophyllum L. (Guttiferae), by examining their possible inhibitory effects on Epstein--Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Raji cells. All of the compounds tested in this study showed inhibitory activity against EBV, without showing any cytotoxicity. Calocoumarin-A (5) showed more potent activity than any of the other compounds tested. Furthermore, calocoumarin-A (5) exhibited a marked inhibitory effect on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test. The results of the present investigation indicate that some of these 4-phenylcoumarins might be valuable as potential cancer chemopreventive agents (anti-tumor-promoters).
Subject(s)
Anticarcinogenic Agents/pharmacology , Coumarins/pharmacology , Trees/chemistry , Animals , Antigens, Viral/metabolism , Carcinogens , Female , Herpesvirus 4, Human/growth & development , Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology , Humans , Mice , Mice, Inbred ICR , Papilloma/chemically induced , Papilloma/prevention & control , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Skin Neoplasms/chemically induced , Skin Neoplasms/prevention & control , Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate , Virus Activation/drug effectsABSTRACT
Nobiletin and 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (HPT), isolated from the peel of Citrus plants, were examined for the anti-tumor-initiating activity on two-stage carcinogenesis of mouse skin tumors induced by a nitric oxide donor, (+/-)-(E)-methyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-6-methoxy-3-hexenamide, as an initiator and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as a promoter. HPT exhibited the remarkable anti-tumor-initiating effect on mouse skin and it suggested the possibility of HPT being a chemopreventive agent against nitric oxide (NO) carcinogenesis.