Cytotoxic and radical scavenging activity of blended herbal extracts.
Chinese medicines have been applied to a variety of diseases producing various favorable effects, possibly due to the interactions between individual components. Establishment of an evaluation method for such interactions may facilitate the production of new natural medicines. We investigated here the interaction of the hot water extract of Aconiti Tuber (one of the most prominent Chinese medicines) and that of Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Atractylodesi, Lanceae Rhizoma or Poria, by measuring the superoxide anion (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH) and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity, using ESR spectroscopy. We found that a 1:1 mixture of the hot water extract of one herb and that of another herb (referred to as a combined formula) showed a higher radical scavenging activity and cytotoxic activity than the hot water extract of a 1:1 mixture of two herbs (referred to as a blended formula). Both formulae showed higher cytotoxic activity against human oral tumor cell lines than against normal cells. These data further confirm the medicinal usefulness of combinations of empirical Chinese medicines.
Nemoto
Yukio
Y
Department of Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Satoh
Kazue
K
Toriizuka
Kazuo
K
Hirai
Yasuaki
Y
Tobe
Takashi
T
Sakagami
Hiroshi
H
Nakashima
Hideki
H
Ida
Yoshiteru
Y
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005562:Formazans / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000166:cytology; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D013481:Superoxides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005562:Formazans; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013481:Superoxides; C079782:MTT formazan; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical