title: Methanol extract of the ethnopharmaceutical remedy Smilax spinosa exhibits             anti-neoplastic activity.
abstract: Plants have been the source of several effective drugs for the treatment of cancer and over 60% of anticancer drugs originate from natural sources. Therefore, extracts of the rhizome of Smilax spinosa, an ethnomedicinal plant from Guatemala which is used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, were investigated regarding their anti-neoplastic activities. By using several solvents the methanol extract was by far the most potent against HL60 cell proliferation (50% inhibition at 60 µg/ml). Furthermore, fractionation of this extract yielded fraction F2, which exhibited enforced pro-apoptotic activity, and activated CYP1A1. Proteins that are relevant for cell cycle progression and apoptosis, as well as proto-oncogenes were investigated by western blotting. This revealed that the methanol extract increased the levels of p21 and this may have caused cell cycle attenuation. The derivative fraction F2 induced apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway, which correlated with the inhibition of Stat3 phosphorylation and concomitant induction of caspase 9, then caspase 8 and caspase 3. In summary, the methanol extract and the derivative fraction F2 of S. spinosa showed anti-neoplastic effects in HL-60 cells and CYP1A1 activation in estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells but not in estrogen-negative MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Based on our data Smilax spinosa may be a promising source for novel anticancer agents.
authors: Institute of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna,                     Vienna, Austria.
authors: Mareike
authors: M
authors: Seelinger
authors: Ruxandra
authors: R
authors: Popescu
authors: Benedikt
authors: B
authors: Giessrigl
authors: Kanokwan
authors: K
authors: Jarukamjorn
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Unger
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Wallnöfer
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Fritzer-Szekeres
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Szekeres
authors: Rene
authors: R
authors: Diaz
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Jäger
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Frisch
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: Kopp
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Krupitza
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D032281:Smilax; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C569463:CYP1A1 protein, human; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9