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Novel antitumor activities of Kushen flavonoids In Vitro and In Vivo
Author(s) -
Sun Mingyu,
Han Jun,
Duan Jifeng,
Cui Yumin,
Wang Tao,
Zhang Weihan,
Liu Wei,
Hong Jianrong,
Yao Minghui,
Xiong Sidong,
Yan Xiaoqiang
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.2066
Subject(s) - sophora flavescens , in vivo , pharmacology , in vitro , medicine , traditional medicine , cell culture , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , psychiatry , matrine
Kushen (KS), the dried roots of Sophora flavescens Aiton, has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases and cancer. Kushen alkaloids (KS‐As) and Kushen flavonoids (KS‐Fs) are the well characterized components in KS. KS‐As have been considered biologically active and developed in China as anticancer drugs. In an effort to screen novel antitumor agents from botanicals, more potent antitumor activities were identified in KS‐Fs than in KS‐As. KS‐Fs were able to inhibit the growth of a panel of tumor cell lines and enhanced the antitumor activities of Taxol in vitro . The antitumor activities of KS‐Fs and Kur, a single KS‐Fs compound, were demonstrated in murine and xenograft human tumor models. Further, it was shown that KS‐Fs and Kur were able to enhance the effect of Taxol to inhibit the growth of H460 and Eca‐109 xenograft tumors. In addition, peripheral blood cell counts were not significantly affected in normal mice treated with KS‐Fs at 200 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. These results suggest that KS‐Fs may be developed as novel antitumor agents and that the currently marketed KS‐As drugs in China may have missed the major antitumor activities in Kushen . Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.