title: Aloin: a natural antitumor anthraquinone glycoside with iron chelating and non-atherogenic activities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The antitumor activity of aloin, the active anthraquinone of Aloe juice, against different murine and human tumors has been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, the impact of repeated aloin treatment at its maximum tolerated dose on serum levels of lipid profile, some elements, iron status and kidney function, compared with doxorubicin (a cardiotoxic anthracycline and inhibitor of erythropoiesis), was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were treated with a single dose of doxorubicin (30 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneal) or aloin (50 mg/kg body weight, intramuscular) twice weekly over 2 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute doxorubicin treatment elevated serum levels of triacylglycerols (59.90%), total cholesterol (42.29%), cholesteryl esters (54.75%), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (230.16%), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (56.42%), urea (287.53%), and creatinine (85.38%), whereas serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, sodium, and calcium levels were reduced (44.61, 9.61, and 9.76%, respectively), as compared with controls. In contrast, aloin treatment showed insignificant changes in all the aforementioned parameters. Both doxorubicin and aloin induced erythropoiesis impairment demonstrated by a reduction in blood hemoglobin concentration. While aloin treatment elevated serum iron level (30.28%), doxorubicin treatment reduced serum levels of iron (51.47%) and percent transferrin saturation (55.21%), and in contrast, increased serum total iron binding capacity (34.85%). The chelating affinities of iron-aloin and -doxorubicin complexes, which contain bidentate iron-binding moieties, have been shown in the infrared spectra.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The non-cardiotoxic effect of aloin treatment was due to its non-atherogenic and iron-chelating activities, which might also contribute in part to its anti-proliferative activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University , Cairo , Egypt.
authors.forename: Amr Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Esmat
authors.forename: Mahmoud M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Khalil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D066126:Cardiotoxicity; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D004642:Emodin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006027:Glycosides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D006027:Glycosides; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D008055:Lipids; D004317:Doxorubicin; D007501:Iron; D004642:Emodin; C006457:alloin
keywords: Aloin; doxorubicin; electrolytes; infrared analysis; iron; lipid profile