title: Ethanolic extracts of Euphorbia and other ethnobotanical species as inhibitors of human tumour cell growth.
abstract: Ethanolic extracts of 20 plant species, selected from the ethnobotanical literature, were analysed for their pharmacological potential as antineoplastic agents against the HEp-2 cell line. Psoralea corylifolia and E. grandidens were the most efficacious species eliciting IC50 values of 22 microg/ml and 57 microg/ml respectively. Psoralea corylifolia, additionally tested against lung carcinoma (A549) cells gave an IC50 value of 68 microg/ml. Such data would justify a search for active compounds from this species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D028481:Euphorbia; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts