Cytotoxic and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Medicinal Plants and Women's Health Remedy Found in "Mahachotarat Scripture" of Thai Traditional Medicine.

Background: "Mahachotarat" is a lesson for woman's care from the Thai traditional medicine book, composed of both medicinal plants and herbal remedies that can treat both pain and cervical cancer. Medicinal plants and herbal remedies, which have often been used in the treatment of pain and cancer, were selected to investigate for biological activity related to woman's health. They were Boesenbergia rotunda Linn, Piper nigrum Linn, Zingiber cassumunar Roxb, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiber zerumbet (L) Smith, Dioscorea birmanica Prain & Burkill including its ingredient; Prosapogenin A of dioscin and Leard-ngam remedy. Objective: The objective was to investigate cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities of all sample plants. Material and Method: Medicinal plants and Leard-ngam remedy were extracted similarly to that practiced by Thai traditional practitioners (ethanol and water extraction). Bioassay guide fractionation was used for isolating pure compound. The structure elucidation of pure compound was proven by spectrophotometry technique. These extracts were tested for their cytotoxic activity against Hela cells, cervical cancer cells, by sulforhodamine B assay, inhibition of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Result: This study showed that P. nigrum, Z. officinale, B. rotunda and Z. cassumunar showed potent inhibitory activity on nitric oxide and PGE2 production. The 95% ethanolic extract of Z. zerumbet had the highest cytotoxic activity on Hela cells with IC50 value of 4.42±0.20 µg/ml. Diosgenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnosyl (1→2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside or Prosapogenin A of dioscin, which was purified from the 95% ethanolic extract of D. birmanica, showed strong cytotoxic activity on Hela cells with IC50 value of 6.07±0.02 µg/ml. Conclusion: Thai medicinal plants and LG remedies which have often been used in the treatment of pain and cancer by Thai traditional practitioners, showed high anti-inflammatory properties on both pathways which represent chronic and acute inflammation. Interestingly, some medicinal plants were used daily in Thai food. In addition, Z. zerumbet and D. birmanica, which has often been used in the treatment of cancer, also showed high cytotoxic activity against cervical cancer cells.

An in vitro inhibitory effect on RAW 264.7 cells by anti-inflammatory compounds from Smilax corbularia Kunth.

BACKGROUND: Smilax corbularia is a Thai medicinal plant locally known as 'Hua-Khao-Yen Neua', which is used for treating inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of S. corbularia extracts and its isolated compounds by determination of inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated PGE2 release, and TNF-alpha and NO production from RAW 264.7 cells. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of this plant were determined on LPS-induced NO production, TNF-alpha and PGE2 release in RAW 264.7 cells, as an in vitro indication of possible anti-inflammatory activity. The compounds from active extract were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation. RESULTS: Only the ethanolic extract of this plant inhibited TNF-alpha and NO production, with IC50 values of 61.97, and 83.90 microg/ml respectively. Three flavonols, engeletin, astilbin and quercetin were isolated from the ethanolic extract. quercetin possessed the highest inhibitory effect on NO production with IC50 11.2 microg/ml (37.1 microM), whereas engeletin and astilbin had no activity (IC50 >100 microg/ml). All three flavonols possessed potent inhibition of PGE2 release with IC50 values of 14.4, 19.6 and 19.9 microg/ml (33.2, 43.5 and 65.8 microM) respectively. Quercetin also exhibited the highest inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha production (IC50 = 1.25 microg/ml or 4.14 microM), but engeletin and astilbin had no activity. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of isolated compounds from S. corbularia with potential anti-inflammatory effects, and the results support the use of this plant by Thai traditional doctors for treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Cytotoxic saponin against lung cancer cells from Dioscorea birmanica Prain & Burkill.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytotoxic activity against lung cancer cells of Dioscorea birmanica Prain & Burkill extract and its compounds. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Cytotoxic activity was tested against two types of lung cancer cell line (A549 and CORL-23), one type of normal lung cell (MRC-5) by sulforhodamine B assay. Bioassay guide fractionation was used for isolating cytotoxic compounds. The structure elucidation of active ingredients was proven by spectrophotometry technique. RESULTS: The results found that the ethanolic extract of Dioscorea birmanica Prain & Burkill (DBE) showed high cytotoxic activity against lung cancer cells; A 549 and COR-L23 (IC50 = 7.45 +/- 0.31, 8.71 +/- 0.29 microg/ml, respectively) but no cytotoxic activity against normal cancer cells MRC-5 (IC50 = 94.76 +/- 1.25 micro/ml). Six fractions from DBE were isolated by vaccuum liquid chromatography with ordering polarity of solvent and were coded as DB1-DB6, respectively. The fraction DB5 showed high cytotoxic against A 549 and COR-L23 (IC50 = 6.14 +/- 0.08 and 16.44 +/- 1.23 microg/ml, respectively) but less toxic to normal cell. Diosgenin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside or Prosapogenin A of dioscin (DBS1) was isolated from DB5 fraction and had highest cytotoxic activity against those two types of lung cancer cells (IC50 = 1.81 +/- 0.03, 1.84 +/- 0.05 microg/ml), respectively) but less cytotoxic against normal lung cells MRC-5 (IC50 = 37.09 +/- 0.67 microg/ml). CONCLUSION: The steroid saponin from Dioscorea birmanica showed cytotoxic activity against human lung cancer cells but less toxic against normal lung cells.