title: Ayurvedic agents produce differential effects on murine and human melanoma cells in vitro.
abstract: This study was performed to evaluate the relative efficacy of Maharishi Amrit Kalash ambrosia (MAK-5) and Maharishi Amrit Kalash nectar (MAK-4) on murine (B-16) and human (SK-Mel) melanoma cells in culture. Ethanol extract (EE) of MAK-5 (EE-MAK-5) induced morphological differentiation (enlargement of soma and nuclei and formation of long dendritic processes) and growth inhibition in mouse melanoma cells, whereas EE-MAK-5 inhibited only growth in human melanoma cells. Murine melanoma cells were more sensitive (about 3 times) than human melanoma cells in culture to EE-MAK-5; the aqueous extract (AE) of MAK-5 (AE-MAK-5) was ineffective in both cells. Boiling EE-MAK-5 for 10 minutes or exposing it to light at room temperature for 72 hours did not alter growth-inhibiting potency. Ethanol extract of another herbal agent, MAK-4 (EE-MAK-4), inhibited growth in human melanoma cells but not in mouse melanoma cells. AE-MAK-4 was ineffective for both cells. These results suggest that murine and human melanoma cells respond differently to MAK-5 and MAK-4 and that human melanoma growth-inhibiting agents are present in both EE-MAK-5 and EE-MAK-4.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262-0276.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D013045:Species Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured