Is G. cambogia a promising treatment? Effects on cultured nasal epithelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of applying Garcinia cambogia to cultured human nasal epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cell culture was set up consisting of human primary nasal epithelial cells harvested during septorhinoplasty from volunteers. The cells came from individuals with no history of rhinosinusitis. One assay for assessing cytotoxicity in cell culture utilizes MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). This method allows visualization of fragmented DNA, condensation of nuclei and changes to the external cellular membrane or cytoskeleton. Our study employed this method. Nasal epithelial cells at 37°C were exposed in culture to G. cambogia for a period of 24 hours. Afterwards an MTT assay was used in conjunction with confocal microscopy to assess evidence of toxicity. The proliferative capability of the nasal epithelial cells was also evaluated by inducing a scratch injury to cultured cells followed by light microscopic examination. RESULTS: Testing for cytotoxicity in this manner indicates that G. cambogia does not appear harmful to cultured nasal epithelial cells when applied directly. The cells exposed to this plant extract were still fully viable 24 hours afterwards. There was no increase in viability at the level of statistical significance. It was noted, however, that proliferation did increase slightly within the exposure period. The MTT assay and confocal microscopy confirm these findings. Under confocal microscopic examination, a compact morphology with unaltered nuclear and cytoskeletal appearances was observed. Thus, there is no evidence suggesting viability is impaired or that cytotoxicity occurs. Ordinary light microscopic examination showed the area denuded of cells had become re-covered completely within 24 hours in the cultures where G. cambogia had been applied. The result suggests that exposure to G. cambogia has no significant effect in terms of stimulating or inhibiting cellular proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: G. cambogia may offer clinical benefit as a supplementary topical treatment for inflammation of the nose and sinuses, as seen in chronic and acute rhinosinusitis, or nasal polyps. The plant appears to increase nasal epitheliocytic proliferation slightly, as revealed by the MTT assay. There were no indications of a cytotoxic effect on epithelial cells of the nose.