Planta Med 2016; 82(S 01): S1-S381
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1596525
Abstracts
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cytotoxic activity against liver cancer cell [HepG2] of a Thai traditional remedy used for liver cancer treatment

P Maki
1   Ph.D Program on Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
,
T Tui-on
2   Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
3   Center of Excellence on Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Research (CEATMR), Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
,
A Itharat
1   Ph.D Program on Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
2   Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
14 December 2016 (online)

 

A Thai traditional remedy of a Thai folk doctor has been used to treat liver cancer for more than 30 years. In a preliminary study 24% of liver cancer patients that used this remedy were still alive after one year [1]. From the in-depth interview of this folk doctor, we obtained the knowledge and principle of diagnostic, treatment and the reason for using medicinal plants in this cancer remedy. The forty plants included in this remedy were tested for cytotoxic activity against liver cancer cells (HepG2) by using SRB assay [2]. The drug design used the holistic principle, detoxification of liver, renal and heart tonic. Medicinal plants in this traditional Thai preparation are laxative plants such as Aloe vera, Tamarindus indicus, and diuretic plants such as Ananus comosus and Imperata cyrindrica. For heart tonic, he used five flowers such as Jasminum sambac, Nelumbo nucifera, Mammea siamensis, Mesua ferrea and Mimosop elengi. Ingeredients that the folk doctor believed had an effect on the liver included almost bitter tasting plants such as Andrographis paniculata, Phyllanthus amarus and Solanum indicum. Among the plants that have been reported to have anticancer effect and were the main ingredients in the remedy included Rhinacanthus nasuthus and Helotropium indicum. The cancer remedy was extracted by maceration with 95% ethanol and boiling in water The ethanolic extract of this remedy showed high cytotoxic activity against HepG2 with IC50= 18.40 µg/ml but the water extract had no activity (IC50 > 100 µg/ml). Thus, forty plants as ingredients were also macerated in 95% ethanol and tested for cytotoxicity. Twelve plants showed IC50 less than 30 µg/ml. Mammea siamensis showed the best cytotoxic activity (IC50= 14.06 ± 1.7 µg/ml). These results correlate with the ethnopharmacological use of the Thai traditional remedy.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Research University Project of Thailand Office of Higher Education Commission, Center of Excellence in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University.

Keywords: Liver cancer, HepG2, SRB assay, cytotoxic activity, Thai Traditional medicine.

References:

[1] Marki P, Tui-On T, Itharat A The study on wisdom of cancer treatment by a Thai folk doctor in Pechaburi Province, Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Thammasat University, 2014

[2] Skehan P, Storeng R, Scudiero D, Monks A, McMahon J, Vistica D, Warren JT, Bokesch H, Kenney S, Boyd MR. New colorimetric cytotoxicity assay for anticancer-drug screening. J Natl Cancer Inst 1990; 82: 1107 – 1112