title: Antiproliferative activity of the extract of Gleditsia sinensis fruit on human solid tumour cell lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (GSE) is a traditional herbal medicine that is saponin-rich. However, its activity on solid tumour cell lines has never been demonstrated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The activity of GSE was demonstrated in four cancer cell lines (breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB231, hepatoblastoma HepG2 and oesophageal squamous carcinoma cell line SLMT-1) using MTT assay, anchorage-independent clonogenicity assay, DNA laddering and in situ cell death detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean MTT(50) (the mean concentration of GSE to reduce MTT activity by 50%) ranged from 16 to 20 microg/ml of GSE. An anchorage-independent clonogenicity assay showed that all of the four solid tumour cell lines gradually lost their regeneration potential after treatment with GSE, DNA fragmentation and TUNEL analysis demonstrated that the action of GSE is both dose- and time course-dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that GSE has a cytotoxic activity and can induce apoptosis in human solid tumour cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Central Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China. bclchow@polyu.edu.hk
authors.forename: L M C
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: J C O
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: I T N
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: T W T
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: R S M
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: I L K
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: K M S
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: W Q
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: A S C
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005638:Fruit; D031501:Gleditsia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts