Antiproliferative activities of Fagara xanthoxyloides and Pseudocedrela kotschyi against prostate cancer cell lines.
OBJECTIVE
Roots of Fagara zanthoxyloides and Pseudocedrela kotchyii are used as chewing sticks and as medicinal remedies for diarrhea, cough and fever in West Africa. Extracts of the two plants also possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-malarial activities. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of such extracts on the growth, proliferation and induction of apoptosis in four prostate cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods. Androgen-independent PC3 and DU-145 and androgen-dependent LNCaP and CWR-22 prostate cancer cell lines were cultured for five days with different concentrations of the extracts and examined for growth inhibition and evidence of apoptosis.


RESULTS
Irrespective of their androgen dependence, all four cancer cell lines exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation and viability by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and in induction of apoptosis. The results also show that LNCap cells were the most sensitive to the two extracts, with highest inhibition at day 3 and exhibiting the highest rate of apoptosis. Conclusion. These observations suggest that F. zanthoxyloides and P. kotchyii could serve as potential chemopreventive agents in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, U.S.A. kkassim@howard.edu.
Olakunle O
OO
Kassim
Department of Pharmacology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Robert L
RL
Copeland
Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Hilaire M
HM
Kenguele
Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Sergei
S
Nekhai
Department of Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Kwashie A
KA
Ako-Nai
Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Yasmine M
YM
Kanaan
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D032106:Zanthoxylum
D010936:Plant Extracts
Antiproliferative action; Fagara xanthoxyloides; Pseudocedrela kotschyi; prostate cancer