[Anti-tumor effect of ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecostatus Celak on human leukemia cell line].
OBJECTIVE
To screen the anti-tumor fraction of ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecostatus Celak and investigate its anti-tumor effect on human leukemia cell line.


METHODS
Ethyl acetate, n-butanol and acetone fractions were separated from the ethanol extracts of wild Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. Growth inhibiting effects of these extracts on human leukemia cell lines K562 and HL-60 were determined by live cell counting and cell growth curve analysis. The possible anti-tumor mechanism was studied by morphological analysis with norcantharidin as a positive control.


RESULTS
Ethyl acetate fraction could significantly inhibit the proliferations of K562 and HL-60 cells, and the inhibiting effect depended on the concentration of ethyl acetate fraction. Ethyl acetate fraction could induce apoptosis of K562 and HL-60 cells. The n-butanol and acetone fractions had no significant inhibiting effect on K562 and HL-60 cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Ethyl acetate fraction is the major anti-tumor fraction in ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecostatus Celak.
Sun
Zhen-Xiao
ZX
School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China. sunzxcn@sohu.com
Zhang
Ying-Hui
YH
Cheng
Shuang
S
Ma
Qing-Wen
QW
Guo
Shan-Li
SL
Zhang
Jin-Bao
JB
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal