title: Cytotoxic activity of Typhonium flagelliforme (Araceae).
abstract: The plant Typhonium flagelliforme (Araceae), commonly known as the 'rodent tuber', is often included as an essential ingredient in various herbal remedies recommended for cancer therapies in Malaysia. Various extracts prepared from either the roots, tubers, stems or leaves were tested for cytotoxic activity on murine P388 leukaemia cells using the MTT assay method. Both the chloroform (IC50 = 6.0 microg/mL) and hexane (IC50 = 15.0 microg/mL) extract from the 'roots and tubers' exhibited weak cytotoxic activity. The hexane extract (IC50 = 65.0 microg/mL) from the 'stems and leaves' exhibited weaker cytotoxic activity than the chloroform extract (IC50 = 8.0 microg/mL). Although the juice extract from the 'roots and tubers' is frequently consumed for cancer treatment, it exhibited poor cytotoxic activity. Further analysis using an amino acid analyser revealed that the juice extract contained a high concentration of arginine (0.874%). A high tryptophan content (0.800%) was confirmed by NMR and HPLC analysis.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itokawa
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D007938:Leukemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts