C. citratus essential oil and carvacrol have shown an antitumor effect on breast tumor cell lines; the main objective of this research was to evaluate the antitumor effect of the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (EOCc) and carvacrol on 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer in female rats. Cancer was induced by a single administration of DMBA at dose of 80 mg/kg body weight (BW). A total of 54 female Holtzman rats were randomly assigned into 9 groups (n = 6). Group I: PS (Physiological saline); Group II: DMBA; Groups III, IV, and V: DMBA + EOCc at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day BW, respectively; Groups VI, VII, and VIII: DMBA + carvacrol at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day BW, respectively; and group IX: DMBA + EOCc + carvacrol at doses of 100 mg/kg/day BW. The treatment lasted 14 weeks. As results, EOCc showed a reduction in tumors as well as necrosis and mitosis. Animals treated with carvacrol did not show necrosis, mitosis, or infiltration. Carvacrol at dose of 100 mg/kg/day BW revealed a significant decrease in the cumulative tumor volume down to 0.11 ± 0.05 cm3 compared to 0.38 ± 0.04 cm3 of the DMBA group (p < 0.01). It is concluded that EOCc and carvacrol had an antitumor effect on DMBA-induced breast cancer in female rats.

Thymus vulgaris L. is widely used as an ingredient in cooking and in herbal medicine. However, there is little information about its toxicity. The present study was performed to evaluate the acute and repeated 28-day oral dose toxicity of thyme essential oil in rats. For the acute toxicity test, two groups of three rats were used. The rats received a single dose of essential oil: 300 or 2,000 mg/kg of body weight (bw). The rats were observed individually during the first four hours, and then daily until day 14. For the toxicity test with repeated doses, four groups of 10 rats were used. Doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg/day were tested for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, blood was collected and the animals were sacrificed. Histopathological examination showed that in the lungs of rats given the 2,000 mg/kg bw dose, polymorph nuclear infiltrates, hemosiderin macrophages, and interstitial space thickening were present. In the repeated dose study, all rats survived the 28-day treatment period and apparently showed no signs of toxicity. The hematological and biochemical parameters were not altered. The histopathological study of the organs showed severe changes in the lung, with the dose of 500 mg/kg/day; in the other organs, no alterations were observed or the changes were slight. The body weight was only altered in male rats given the 500 mg/kg dose. The relative weight of the organs did not show any significant changes. Our studies revealed that the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris has moderate oral toxicity according to the results of the acute test, whereas the results of the 28-day oral toxicity test suggest that the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) is greater than 250 mg/kg/day.

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Potato tocosh is a naturally processed potato for nutritional and curative purposes from traditional Peruvian medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute and sub-acute toxicity of tocosh flour (TF). For sub-acute toxicity, TF was administered orally to rats daily once a day for 28 days at doses of 1000 mg/kg body weight (BW). Animals were observed for general behaviors, mortality, body weight variations, and histological analysis. At the end of treatment, relative organ weights, histopathology, hematological and biochemical parameters were analyzed. For acute toxicity, TF was administered orally to mice at doses of 2000 and 5000 mg/kg BW at a single dose in both sexes. Body weight, mortality, and clinical signs were observed for 14 days after treatment. The results of acute toxicity showed that the median lethal dose (LD50) value of TF is higher than 2000 g/kg BW but less than 5000 mg/Kg BW in mice. Death and toxicological symptoms were not found during the treatment. For sub-acute toxicity, we found that no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAEL) of TF in rats up to 1000 g/kg BW. There were statistically significant differences in body weight, and relative organ weight in the stomach and brain. No differences in hematological and biochemical parameters were observed when compared with the control group. For sub-acute toxicity, histopathological studies revealed minor abnormalities in liver and kidney tissues at doses of 5000 mg/Kg. Based on these results, TF is a traditional Peruvian medicine with high safety at up to 1000 mg/kg BW for 28 days in rats.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequent diseases in human population: Many plants from Peruvian flora is used to treat cancer as alternative treatment. Chuquiraga spinosa Lessing (ChS) is a species with high potential therapeutic due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect as well as protective against prostate cancer. Objective: The main objective was to evaluate the possible protective effect of Chuquiraga spinosa extract on NMU (N-methyl-N nitrosourea)-induced gastric cancer in rats. Methods: Gastric carcinogenesis was induced in 30 male Holtzman rats by providing NMU 50 μg/Kg by oral administration for 16 weeks. Ethanolic extract of ChS aerial parts was administered at doses 50, 250 and 500 mg/Kg per oral. The protective effect was determined through weight controls, biochemical and hematological parameters; the antioxidant capacity by superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and anti-inflammatory capacity by the level of C-reactive protein (CRP). The tumors were monitored by using histological examinations. Results: Oral administration of Chuquiraga spinosa extract significantly decreased superoxide dismutase malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, C-reactive protein levels (p<0,01, p<0,01, p<0,01 and p<0,01 respectively compared with Inductor group). There was a significant increase in the weights of animals (P<0.05). Conclusion: Considering the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties of Chuquiraga spinosa extract, we conclude that it has a protective effect on NMU induced gastric cancer in rats. Many medicinal plants are used by patients with cancer due to numerous positive effects on pain relief, vomiting, nauseas, depression, and anxiety. 8Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids can have antioxidant capacity with potential benefits for health and could reduce cancer risk, it has been demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds inhibit arachidonic acid (AA), prostaglandins, and leukotrienes.9 Polyphenols are chemoprotectives that act by blocking of initiation stage of carcinogenesis, free radicals and activation of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and inactivation of glutathione S transferase. 10Chuquiraga spinosa (ChS) Lessing (Family: Asteraceae) is called "huamanpinta" and is a species with therapeutic properties from Peruvian flora. The stem and leaves infusion of this plant is used for its antiinflammatory effects and urinary infections. Previous studies have reported that ChS presents anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. 11 The main objective in this research was to determine the protective effect of aerial parts of Chuquiraga spinosa on NMU induced gastric cancer in rats. 21 MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsA total of 30 rats Holtzman (150 ± 20 g) of male sex were obtained from the National Institute of Health (Lima, Peru). Rats were kept in plastic cages with access to pelletized food and water ad libitum and housed in animal room with controlled temperature (2...

Background and Aim: Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant known as "Bellaco- Caspi" widely distributed in Loreto, Peru. In the Peruvian traditional medicine, the latex of the plant is used for the treatment of wounds, inflammation, ulcers, and other ailments. This study aims to evaluate the wound healing effect of the latex of H. sucuuba in BALB/C albino mice. Materials and Methods: Thirty BALB/C male mice were used for wound healing study. In the experimental procedures, wound skin incision was performed at 2.0 cm in length until subcutaneous on the paravertebral of each animal. Under locally anesthetized with procaine cream, the treatment was conducted. All the mice were divided into three groups, the control group (A), zinc oxide cream (B), and H. sucuuba latex (C). The entire surface of the wound was treated for all the groups, and the treatments were performed daily for 15 days. The experiments were stopped on days 1, 7, and 15, respectively. Results: The histopathological study of tissues revealed significant changes in wound healing effect in H. sucuuba latex compared to the control and B groups. Consequently, the mice treated with latex showed a significant reduction in epithelialization time and collagen formation. Furthermore, the latex showed a dose-dependent significant reduction of inflammation in the first 24 h of treatment. Conclusion: BALB/C mice treated with the latex of H. sucuuba possess a wound healing effect that can scientifically prove the traditional use of the plant as a wound healing agent.

Annona muricata leaves are traditionally used as an anticancer plant in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effect of the essential oil from Annona muricata leaves (EOAm) in an experimental model of breast cancer and to determine the volatile constituents with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty female rats were assigned to five groups: the control group; the DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene) group; and three groups received daily EOAm doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day, plus DMBA, respectively. After 13 weeks of treatment, tumors were analyzed pathologically and biochemical markers in serum were noted. As a result, in GC-MS analysis, 40 compounds were identified and 4 of them were abundant: Z-caryophyllene (40.22%), followed by α-selinene (9.94%), β-pinene (8.92%), and β-elemene (7.48%). Furthermore, EOAm in a dose-dependent form produced a reduction in tumor frequency and the accumulated tumor volume was reduced by 50% and 71% with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Serum levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased significantly compared to the DMBA group. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased significantly from 70.75 ± 7.15 pg/mL in the DMBA group to 46.50 ± 9.00 and 34.13 ± 11.50 pg/mL in groups treated with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. This study concludes that the EOAm leaves showed an ameliorative effect in a murine model of breast cancer.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemopreventive effect of the ethanolic extract of Cordia lutea flowers (EECL) on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea- (MNU), cyproterone-, and testosterone-induced prostate cancer in rats. 40 Holtzman male rats were used and assigned to 5 groups (n = 8). In Group I, rats received normal saline (10 mL/Kg); Group II: rats were induced for prostate cancer with cyproterone, testosterone, and NMU; Groups III, IV, and V: rats received EECL daily, at doses of 50, 250, and 500 mg/kg body weight, respectively. After the period of treatment, animals were sacrificed by an overdose of pentobarbital and blood samples were collected for determination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The prostate was dissected and weighed accurately. The ventral lobe of the prostate was processed for histopathology analysis. The somatic prostate index decreased with EECL at dependent dose, from 0.34 ± 0.04 to 0.23 ± 0.05 (P<0.05). The PSA levels also decreased significantly at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. Histopathological analysis showed a decrease in the number of prostatic layers with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PIN) and low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (LG-PIN) at the dose of 500 mg/kg. The ethanolic extract of Cordia lutea flowers had a chemopreventive effect on induced prostate cancer in rats.