title: In vitro cytotoxic activity of Benjakul herbal preparation and its active compounds against human lung, cervical and liver cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benjakul [BEN], a Thai Traditional medicine preparation, is composed of five plants: Piper chaba fruit [PC], Piper sarmentosum root [PS], Piper interruptum stem [PI], Plumbago indica root [PL] and Zingiber officinale rhizome [ZO]. From selective interviews of folk doctors in Southern Thailand, it was found that Benjakul has been used for cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cytotoxicity activity of Benjakul preparation [BEN] and its ingredients against three human cancer cell lines, large lung carcinoma cell line (COR-L23), cervical cancer cell line (Hela) liver cancer cell line (HepG2) as compared with normal lungfibroblast cell (MRC-5) by using SRB assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  The extraction as imitated the method used by folk doctors was done by maceration in ethanol and boiling in water Bioassay guided isolation was used isolated cytotoxic compound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ethanolic extracts of PL, ZO, PC, PS, BEN and PS showed specific activity against lung cancer cell (IC50 = 3.4, 7.9, 15.8, 18.4, 19.8 and 32.91 microg/ml) but all the water extracts had no cytotoxic activity. Three active ingredients [6-gingerol, plumbagin and piperine as 0.54, 4.18 and 7.48% w/w yield of crude extract respectively] were isolated from the ethanolic extract of BEN and they also showed cytotoxic activity with plumbagin showing the highest cytotoxic activity against COR-L23, HepG2, Hela and MRC-5 (IC50 = 2.55, 2.61, 4.16 and 11.54 microM respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data results may support the Thai traditional doctors who are using Benjakul to treat cancer patients and three of its constituents (6-gingerol, plumbagin and piperine) are suggested to be used as biomarkers for standardization of this preparation.
authors: Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.
authors: Srisopa
authors: S
authors: Ruangnoo
authors: Arunporn
authors: A
authors: Itharat
authors: Intouch
authors: I
authors: Sakpakdeejaroen
authors: Ruchilak
authors: R
authors: Rattarom
authors: Pimonwan
authors: P
authors: Tappayutpijam
authors: Kumman Kumarn
authors: KK
authors: Pawa
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002396:Catechols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D031701:Piper / Q000737:chemistry; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D029606:Plumbaginaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013785:Thailand; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D052117:Benzodioxoles; D002396:Catechols; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D010880:Piperidines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; C007845:gingerol; C008922:piperine; C014758:plumbagin