Ethnopharmacological nexus between the traditional Thai medicine theory and biologically based cancer treatment.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The two major theories utilized for diagnosis and treatment in Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) are the Four Element Theory and the Herbal Flavor Theory. A TTM "Poh-Pu" Remedy has been effectively utilized in Thailand for cancer therapy for centuries. AIMS OF STUDY: To investigate anti-inflammatory activity and liver cancer cytotoxicity of Poh-Pu remedy. To determine relationships between the TTM Herbal Flavor theory and the Four Element theory and total flavonoid content and biological activities of Poh-Pu Remedy plant extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each plant ingredient was macerated with 95% ethanol. The extracts were investigated for cytotoxic activity against liver cancer using a sulforhodamine B assay, and anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by inhibition of nitric oxide production. The total flavonoid content was determined by an aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. The relationships between the TTM theories, total flavonoid content, and biological activities were evaluated by correlation and cluster analysis. RESULTS: Mammea siamensis exerted potent cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines with an IC50 of 3.15 ± 0.16 µg/mL and low cytotoxicity to the non-cancerous cells (HaCat) with an IC50 33.39 ± 0.40 µg/mL (Selective index (SI) = 10.6). Tiliacora triandra was selectively cytotoxic to cholangiocarcinama (KKU-M156) cells with an IC50 of 12.65 ± 0.92 µg/mL (SI = 6.4). Curcuma comosa was the most potent anti-inflammatory inhibitor of nitric oxide production with an IC50 of 2.75 ± 0.34 µg/mL. Campomanesia aromatica exhibited the highest total flavonoid content of 259.7 ± 3.21 mg quercetin equivalent/g. Pungent plants were most prevalent in the TTM remedy. CONCLUSION: Pungent, fragrant, bitter and nauseating plants utilized in TTM cancer remedy were successfully investigated and identified several lead plants and components with cytotoxic and antiinflammatory activity that require further study. The TTM wind element theory appeared to be aligned with cancer-related activity. Biological activity results of taste from herbs related with The TTM Herbal Flavor theory. The extra-oral locations of flavor receptors are a promising target for biological activity of TTM which require further scrutiny and identified several lead plants and components with cytotoxic and antiinflammatory activities that also require further study.

In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity against Breast, Cervical, and Ovarian Cancer Cells and Flavonoid Content of Plant Ingredients Used in a Selected Thai Traditional Cancer Remedy: Correlation and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis.

This study aimed to investigate in vitro cytotoxic activity of selected plant ingredients from a traditional Thai remedy for the treatment of cancer patients against cancer cells occurring in women such as MCF-7 (breast cancer), SKOV3 (ovarian cancer), and HeLa (cervical cancer) cell lines. The plants and the remedy were macerated with 95% ethanol and boiled in water. Cytotoxic activity of the extracts was analyzed by SRB assay. Total flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined and their correlation with cytotoxic activity was evaluated. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to classify the extracts by their cytotoxic characteristics. A total of 66.7% of the plants was active against the tested cancer cell lines. Among the 44 plants in the remedy used for cancer treatment, nine plants that are also used in Thai cuisine exerted significant cytotoxicity against tested cancer cell lines. Eleven plants in the remedy were active against at least one of the tested cancer cell lines. All extracts were grouped into three groups and illustrated as heat map and hierarchical dendrogram. Total flavonoid content showed weak or no correlation with cytotoxic activity. A. dahurica, F. albopurpurea, and T. indica selectively exerted potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 with SI value more than 6. A. galanga, P. amarus, L. striatum, H. indicum, and F. vulgare exerted moderate cytotoxicity to all tested cell with low toxicity to normal cells. The correlation and HCA performed in this study provided an alternative way to investigate biological activities of plant ingredients in polyherbal traditional remedies.