Antitumor activity of crude polysaccharides isolated from Solanum nigrum Linne on U14 cervical carcinoma bearing mice

Abstract

Solanum nigrum Linne (SNL) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries because of its diuretic and antipyretic effects. The present study examined the effect of the crude polysaccharides isolated from Solanum nigrum Linne (SNL-P) on tumor growth. SNL-P had a significant growth inhibition effect on cervical cancer (U14) of tumor-bearing mice. Further analysis of the tumor inhibition mechanism indicated that the number of apoptotic tumor cells increased significantly, the expression of Bax increased and the expression of Bcl-2 and mutant p53 decreased dramatically in cervical cancer sections after oral administration of SNL-P for 12 days. Moreover, SNL-P treatment decreased the level of blood serum TNF-alpha. These results indicated that the tumor growth inhibition of SNL-P administration might correlate with the reduction of TNF-alpha level of blood serum, which resulted in a massive necrosis in tumor tissues and the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and mutant p53 gene expression, which triggered apoptosis in tumor cells. These findings demonstrated that the SNL-P is a potential antitumor agent.

Protective effects of fraction 1a of polysaccharides isolated from Solanum nigrum Linne on thymus in tumor-bearing mice

“…The whole plant was dried in the shade and authenticated by Dr. J. C. Zhao at Hebei Normal University, China, where the herbarium voucher has been kept (E407). The method used for preparation of SNL-P is the same as we previously reported (Li et al, 2007). Briefly, dry SNL (500 g) was refluxed with petroleum ether (60-90 • C) to remove lipids, and then refluxed with 80% ethanol twice to remove monosaccharides and oligosaccharides.…”

“…Lee and Lim (2006) reported 150 kDa glycoprotein isolated from SNL had a stimulatory effect on caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage in HCT-116 cells, blocked nuclear factor-kappa B activation and reduced inducible nitric oxide (iNO) production. In our previous study, it was found that the crude polysaccharides isolated from SNL (SNL-P) could inhibit the growth of uterine cervical carcinoma (U14) in tumor models (Li et al, 2007). However, there is no report on which fraction of the SNL-P is the active component and whether its anti-tumor activity is correlated with its protective effects on the immune organ.…”

Anti-cancer potential of South Asian plants

“…Although various parts of the S. nigrum plant contain polyphenols, gentisic acid, luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol, m-coumaric acid, anthocyanidin, their role in apoptosis is not clear. The crude polysaccharides from S. nigrum concomitantly up-regulates pro-appototic gene Bax and down-regulates Bcl-2 and mutant p53 gene expression in mice bearing cervical cancer (U14) 108 . On the other hand, pepsin and pancreatin digestion resistant peptide Lunasin has been claimed as a bioactive and bioavailable component due to inhibition of H3 and H4 acetylation and the phosphorylation of the Rb protein in mammalian cells and in a skin cancer mouse model 109 .…”

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“…Solanum nigrum L. (SN) has been used in traditional folk medicine to treat different cancers. These findings indicate that SNE induced cell death in hepatoma cells via two distinct antineoplastic activities of SNE, the ability to induce apoptosis and autophagocytosis, therefore suggesting that it may provide leverage to treat liver cancer 159 . Solanum nigrum Linn.…”