Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

Biosyntheses and Bioactivities of Flavonoids in the Medicinal...
2003]. In another study, cell lines from the most common human cancers, including
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-25, KB), breast cancer (MCF-7), hepatocellular carcinoma
(HepG2), prostate carcinoma (PC-3 and LNCaP), and colon cancer (KM-12 and HCT-15)
were tested for anticancer activity of S. baicalensis. The results showed that S. baicalensis
strongly inhibited cell growth in all cancer cell lines tested. Furthermore, prostate and breast
cancer cells (PC-3, LNCaP, and MCF-7) are slightly more sensitive than other type of cancer
cells. It also inhibited PGE2 production, indicating that suppression of tumor cell growth may
be due to its ability to inhibit COX-2 activity [Ye et al., 2002].
Wogonin inhibited the growth and tumor angiogenesis of human gastric carcinoma in
nude mice. Wogonin suppressed the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated
migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. It also restrained
VEGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2.
This inhibition of receptor phosphorylation was correlated with a significant decrease in
VEGF-triggered phosphorylated forms of ERK, AKT and p38 [Lu et al., 2008]. In addition,
effects of wogonin were examined in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and -negative human
breast cancer cells in culture for proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. Cell
growth was attenuated by wogonin (50-200 M), independently of its ER status, in a time-
and concentration-dependent manner. Apoptosis was enhanced and accompanied by
upregulation of PARP and Caspase 3 cleavages as well as proapoptotic Bax protein. Akt
activity was suppressed and reduced phosphorylation of its substrates, GSK-3 beta and p27,
was observed. Suppression of Cyclin D1 expression suggested the downregulation of the
Akt-mediated canonical Writ signaling pathway. ER expression was downregulated in ERpositive
cells, while c-ErbB2 expression and its activity were suppressed in ER-negative SK-
BR-3 cells. Wogonin feeding to mice showed inhibition of tumor growth of T47D and MD-
AMB-231 xenografts by up to 88% without any toxicity after 4 weeks of treatment [Chung et
al., 2008].
In order to compare the effect of individual botanical extracts with combinations of
extracts on prostate cell viability, S. baicalensis, Rabdosia rubescens, Panax-pseudo ginseng,
Dendranthema morifolium, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Serenoa repens were tested. Each
extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of prostate cell lines in a time- and dosedependent
manner except S. repens. The most active extracts, S. baicalensis, D. morifolium,
G. uralensis and R. rubescens were tested as two-extract combinations. S. baicalensis and D.
morifolium when combined were additive with a trend toward synergy, whereas D.
morifolium and R. rubescens together were additive. The remaining two-extract combinations
showed antagonism. The four extracts together were significantly more effective than the
two-by-two combinations and the individual extracts alone. Combining the four herbal
extracts significantly enhanced their activity in the cell lines tested compared with extracts
alone [Adams et al., 2006].
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