title: Aqueous extract from taxus baccata inhibits adenosine deaminase activity significantly in cancerous and noncancerous human gastric and colon tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate possible effects of aqueous taxus baccata extract on adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in cancerous and noncancerous human tissues and to clarify mechanism(s) of its anticancer potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancerous and noncancerous human gastric and colon tissues were used in the study. The extracts were prepared in distilled water. Before and after treatment with the extracts, ADA activities in the tissue homogenates were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ADA activity was found to be higher in gastric tissue compared with colon tissue, but no differences were found between ADA activities of cancerous and noncancerous tissues for both as well. In the plant extract studies, it was found that taxus extract significantly inhibited ADA activity both in cancerous and noncancerous gastric and colon tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that aqueous extract from taxus baccata inhibits ADA activities in both gastric and colon tissues significantly. It is suggested that in addition to other proposed mechanisms, accumulated adenosine due to the inhibition of ADA enzyme might also play part in the anticancer properties of taxus species.
authors.affiliation: Ordu University Centre Research Laboratory, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zahide Esra
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Durak
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Büber
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdinç
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Devrim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocaoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Durak
keywords: Adenosine deaminase; cancer; taxol; taxus baccata