Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity
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 select...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/721402 |
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| _version_ | 1832549132254838784 |
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| author | Elisha Solowey Michal Lichtenstein Sarah Sallon Helena Paavilainen Elaine Solowey Haya Lorberboum-Galski |
| author_facet | Elisha Solowey Michal Lichtenstein Sarah Sallon Helena Paavilainen Elaine Solowey Haya Lorberboum-Galski |
| author_sort | Elisha Solowey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 from Urtica membranacea (Urticaceae), Artemesia monosperma (Asteraceae), and Origanum 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ec917ba5503448e39d3a5a2585bbdd75 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2356-6140 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-ec917ba5503448e39d3a5a2585bbdd752025-02-03T06:12:07ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/721402721402Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer ActivityElisha Solowey0Michal Lichtenstein1Sarah Sallon2Helena Paavilainen3Elaine Solowey4Haya Lorberboum-Galski5Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, 91120 Jerusalem, IsraelDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, 91120 Jerusalem, IsraelLouis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center, Hadassah Medical Organization, 91120 Jerusalem, IsraelLouis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center, Hadassah Medical Organization, 91120 Jerusalem, IsraelArava Institute of Environmental Studies, Kibbutz Ketura, 88840 DN Eilot, IsraelDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, 91120 Jerusalem, IsraelPlants 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 from Urtica membranacea (Urticaceae), Artemesia monosperma (Asteraceae), and Origanum 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.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/721402 |
| spellingShingle | Elisha Solowey Michal Lichtenstein Sarah Sallon Helena Paavilainen Elaine Solowey Haya Lorberboum-Galski Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity |
| title_full | Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity |
| title_short | Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity |
| title_sort | evaluating medicinal plants for anticancer activity |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/721402 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elishasolowey evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity AT michallichtenstein evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity AT sarahsallon evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity AT helenapaavilainen evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity AT elainesolowey evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity AT hayalorberboumgalski evaluatingmedicinalplantsforanticanceractivity |