ABSTRACT
Petroleum ether, acetone, 80% MeOH and water extracts of crown gall, a plant tumour, obtained from Eucalyptus globulus tree were screened for cytotoxic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, embryotoxic, antitumour-promoting and antimicrobial activities. In terms of bioactivity the 80% MeOH extract was most effective followed by the acetone extract. The petroleum ether extract showed weak to moderate cytotoxic activity in dose-dependent manner against PC12 cells, mouse L fibroblasts and 1321N1 glia cells, whereas the hydroalcohol extract had no or a weak cytotoxic effect. The 80% MeOH extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity. Based on the in vitro HET-CAM assay all the extracts were effective against inflammation. The extracts did not show any embryotoxic effect at the concentrations tested. Antitumour-promoting activity (100% inhibition; 100 microg/mL) was observed in the 80% MeOH and acetone extracts. In the antimicrobial screening all extracts displayed predominantly antifungal activity against Candida sp. The extracts also showed various levels of antibacterial activity against E. faecalis, Ps. aeruginosa, Bac. subtilis and Staph. epidermidis. From the results of the investigations it can be concluded that crown gall is a valuable plant tumour tissue having interesting biological activities.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Tumors , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Anti-Infective Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/therapeutic use , Antioxidants/administration & dosage , Antioxidants/therapeutic use , Bacteria/drug effects , Biphenyl Compounds , Candida/drug effects , Cattle , Cell Line/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Eucalyptus , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Humans , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects , Mice , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Neuroglia/drug effects , Ovum/drug effects , Picrates , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effectsABSTRACT
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
Seven lignans (2-8) isolated from the seeds of Hernandia ovigera L. (Hernandiaceae) were tested for their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in Raji cells. Using a primary screening test, all the lignans showed inhibitory activity with IC50 470-590 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. The data demonstrated that these lignans might be valuable anti-tumor-promoters.
Subject(s)
Anticarcinogenic Agents/therapeutic use , Antigens, Viral/drug effects , Lignans/therapeutic use , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/drug therapy , Anticarcinogenic Agents/isolation & purification , Humans , Lignans/isolation & purification , Molecular Structure , Seeds/chemistry , Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology , Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effectsABSTRACT
To search for possible anti-tumor promoters, thirteen flavones (1-13) obtained from the peel of Citrus plants were examined for their inhibitory effects on the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation by a short-term in vitro assay. Of these flavones, 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (HPT) (13) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the EBV-EA activation induced by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Further, compound 13 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test.