Anti-proliferative and anti-cancer properties of Achyranthes aspera: Specific inhibitory activity against pancreatic cancer cells

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2010-08, Vol.131 (1), p.78-82
• Main Authors: Subbarayan, Pochi R., Sarkar, Malancha, Impellizzeri, Stefania, Raymo, Francisco, Lokeshwar, Balakrishna L., Kumar, Pradeep, Agarwal, Ram P., Ardalan, Bach
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achyranthes; Achyranthes aspera; angiogenesis; animal proteins; Anti-angiogenic agents; anticarcinogenic activity; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - isolation & purification; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Ayurvedic medicine; Biological and medical sciences; blood vessels; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; cell proliferation; cytotoxicity; dosage; dose response; epithelial cells; Ethno botanicals; fractionation; gene expression; General pharmacology; Growth Inhibitors - isolation & purification; Growth Inhibitors - therapeutic use; HT29 Cells; human cell lines; Humans; in vitro studies; leaves; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; metalloproteinases; metastasis; Natural anti-tumor agents; neoplasms; pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; polymerase chain reaction; Real Time PCR; temporal variation; Traditional medical system (TMS)
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.06.002

Achyranthes aspera (Family: Amaranthacea) is a medicinal plant used as an anti-cancer agent in ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine practiced in subcontinental India. The aim of the study was to systematically investigate the anti-proliferative properties of Achyranthes aspera leaves extracted in methanol (LE) on human cancer cells in vitro. We tested time, dose dependent and specific anti-proliferative activity of LE by clonogenic cell survival assay on human cancer and normal epithelial cell lines in vitro. We further investigated its effect on the expression of metastatic and angiogenic genes by real time polymerase chain reaction. On silica gel column, we carried out initial fractionation analysis. LE exhibited time and dose dependent cytotoxicity on several tumor cells. Compared to cancer cells of colon, breast, lung and prostate origin, pancreatic cancer cells were significantly more sensitive to LE. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggested that LE selectively suppressed the transcription of metalloproteases (MMP-1 and -2), inhibitors of MMPs (TIMP-2) and angiogenic factors (VEGF-A and VEGF-B). Fractionation of LE on methanol equilibrated silica gel column resolved into three fractions of which fraction (F 3) was found to be enriched with anti-proliferative activity. Methanolic extract of Achyranthes aspera contains potent anti-proliferative compound with specific activity against pancreatic cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm the in vivo anti-tumorigenicity and subsequent chemical characterization of the active molecule(s).