In vitro culture studies of Sutherlandia frutescens on human tumor cell lines

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 93; no. 1; pp. 9 - 19
• Main Authors: Tai, Joseph, Cheung, Susan, Chan, Edwin, Hasman, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-07-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; anticarcinogenic activity; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - isolation & purification; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Antioxidant; antioxidant activity; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; cell lines; Cytotoxicity; Galega; General pharmacology; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Jurkat Cells; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Mice; neoplasms; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plants, Medicinal; South Africa; South African herb; Sutherlandia; Sutherlandia frutescens; traditional medicine; Tumor cell lines; South Africa; Africa; Sutherlandia frutescens; Cytotoxicity; South African herb; Tumor cell lines; Antioxidant; Human; Folk medicine; Pharmacognosy; Established cell line; In vitro; Tumor cell; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.02.028

Sutherlandia frutescens is a South African herb used traditionally by the natives to treat cancer, and more recently to improve the overall health in HIV/AIDS patients. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometer profiling and liquid chromatographic/mass spectral investigation confirmed and quantified the presence of canavanine, GABA and arginine in the herbal preparation used in this study. In vitro study demonstrated a concentration dependent effect of Sutherlandia on several tumor cell lines, with 50% inhibition (IC
50) of proliferation of MCF7, MDA-MB-468, Jurkat and HL60 cells at 1/250, 1/200, 1/150 and 1/200 dilutions, respectively. Sutherlandia treatment did not induce HL60 differentiation along the macrophage/monocyte or granulocyte lineage. It demonstrated antioxidant activity in reducing free radical cations with an estimated activity of 0.5
μl of Sutherlandia extract equivalent to that of 10
μM of Trolox. However, it did not significantly suppress lipopolysaccharide stimulated nitric oxide production by murine macrophage/monocyte RAW 264.7 cells, nor did it significantly inhibit IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 cells. In conclusion, Sutherlandia ethanolic extract showed a concentration dependent antiproliferative effect on several human tumor cell lines but did not show significant antioxidant effects. Further studies are needed to explore the activities of this multipurpose South African herbal preparation.