ABSTRACT
Aim To evaluate the anti-tumor activity of the extract from the root of Actinidia chinensis planch in vitro and in vivo. Methods Active components from the root of Actinidia chinensis planch were isolated by traditional phytochemical techniques. The in vitro anti-tumor activity was determined by sulforhodamine B assay and the in vivo anti-tumor activity was evaluated using experimental mouse tumor models and human tumor xenografts in nude mice. Results Powdered air-dried roots of Actinidia chinensis planch were percolated with methanol at room temperature thrice. The filtrate was concentrated to dryness in vacuo and then was further extracted with ethyl acetate, n-butanol , and chloroform. The fraction extracted by chloroform displayed the most potent activity against several tumor cell lines including hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells, non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells, lymphoma Ramos cells, and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Further more, the anti-tumor efficacy of the chloroform fraction was confirmed in Bel-7402 xenografts in nude mice with the percentage inhibition of 38.0 %. Conclusion The extract of the root of Actinidia chinensis planch has anti-tumor activity, and the active components are mainly in the fraction extracted by chloroform.