title: Cytotoxicity of heat-treated Korean mistletoe.
abstract: The cytotoxic effects of preparations of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album L. var. coloratum Ohwi) on non-tumorigenic A31 cells and tumorigenic MSV cells were investigated. While the aqueous extract from Korean mistletoe (<8 microg/ml) showed strong cytotoxicity on both cell lines, the heat-treated extract was much less cytotoxic with TD50 values of above 300 microg/ml. The heat-treated extract showed a growth-enhancing effect on non-tumorigenic cells and a cytotoxic effect on tumorigenic cells. The alkaloids fraction, which was isolated from the crude extract, was not cytotoxic to non-tumorigenic A31 cells up to 550 microg/ml, but was cytotoxic to tumorigenic MSV cells at 138 microg/ml. Heat treatment did not change the cytotoxic effects of the alkaloids fraction, indicating that the selective cytotoxicity of the heat-treated mistletoe extract on tumorigenic MSV cells might be due to its alkaloids. In order to study the changes in the cytotoxicity of fermented Korean mistletoe, the crude and heat-treated extracts were inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum. During 7 days of fermentation, the cytotoxicity of the fermented heat-treated extract was increased while that of the fermented crude extract was not changed significantly.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Foods and Safety, Handong University, Pohang, Kyungbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007723:Korea; D051379:Mice; D014784:Mistletoe; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D010936:Plant Extracts