Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity

Hindawi Limited - Tập 2014 - Trang 1-12 - 2014
Elisha Solowey1, Michal Lichtenstein1, Sarah Sallon2, Helena Maaria Paavilainen2, Elaine Solowey3, Haya Lorberboum‐Galski1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
2Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center, Hadassah Medical Organization, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
3Arava Institute of Environmental Studies, Kibbutz Ketura, 88840 DN Eilot, Israel

Tóm tắt

Plants have been used for medical purposes since the beginning of human history and are the basis of modern medicine. Most chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer treatment are molecules identified and isolated from plants or their synthetic derivatives. Our hypothesis was that whole plant extracts selected according to ethnobotanical sources of historical use might contain multiple molecules with antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing human cancer cells. This study examined the effects of three whole plant extracts (ethanol extraction) on human tumor cells. The extracts were fromUrtica membranacea(Urticaceae),Artemesia monosperma(Asteraceae), andOriganum dayi post(Labiatae). All three plant extracts exhibited dose- and time-dependent killing capabilities in various human derived tumor cell lines and primary cultures established from patients’ biopsies. The killing activity was specific toward tumor cells, as the plant extracts had no effect on primary cultures of healthy human cells. Cell death caused by the whole plant extracts is via apoptosis. Plant extract 5 (Urtica membranacea) showed particularly strong anticancer capabilities since it inhibited actual tumor progression in a breast adenocarcinoma mouse model. Our results suggest that whole plant extracts are promising anticancer reagents.

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Hindawi Limited

Tập 2014

1-12

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