title: A study to investigate the biological activity of proteoglycan mixture extract from Convolvulus arvensis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Convolvulus arvensis L. (Convolvulaceae), bindweeds, is inhabitant to Iran and its proteoglycan mixture (PGM) has been reported to possess different biological activities. In the present study, we aimed to investigate different properties of PGM including anti-tumor, anti-angiogenesis and immunostimulatory activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  PGM was prepared from the roots of C. arvensis. Various cancer cell lines were treated with PGM and the cytotoxicity was assessed after 24 h of incubation using MTT assay. In addition, J774A.1 macrophages were stimulated with LPS (1 µg/mL) and then with PGM. Then, production of nitric oxide (NO) as a marker of inflammation was measured using Griess reagent. Moreover, PGM was subjected to cultivated Leishmania major promastigotes and leishmanicidal activity was determined using MTT assay. More importantly, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cultured on matrigel basement matrix and tube formation after treatment with PGM was considered microscopically for the determination of angiogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obtained results revealed that PGM significantly inhibited the formation of vascular-like tubes by HUVECs without any effect on their viability. Furthermore, PGM significantly exhibited leishmanicidal activity by the mechanism of suppressing L. major promastigotes developmental growth in vitro. However, PGM was shown to have no effect on the growth of cancer cells and production of NO by LPS-stimulated macrophages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides some new evidence on remarkable leishmanicidal and anti-angiogenic activities of PGM. These findings also afford the scientific basis for the use of C. arvensis as a candidate medicinal plant for further thoroughly phytochemical investigations toward discovering leishmanicidal and anti-angiogenic compounds.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamani Taghizadeh Rabe
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamani Taghizadeh Rabe
authors.forename: Seyed Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Emami
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D031254:Convolvulus; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011509:Proteoglycans