Chemopreventive action of Phyllanthus urinaria Linn on DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice.

Abstract

The inhibition of tumor incidence by hydro-alcoholic extract of the whole plant of P. urinaria was evaluated in 6-7 weeks old female albino mice on two-stage process of skin carcinogenesis induced by a single application of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (50 microg/50 microl of acetone), and 2 weeks later, promoted by repeated application of croton oil (1% in acetone/three times a week) till the end of the experiment (15 weeks). Topical application of the extract at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight/day for 15 weeks at the peri-initiational stage (i.e., 7 days before and 7 days after DMBA application), promotional stage (i.e., from the time of croton oil application) and both peri and post-initiational stages (i.e., 7 days prior to DMBA application and continued till the end of the experiment) on the shaven backs of the mice recorded a significant reduction in tumor incidence to 50, 33.3 and 16.7% respectively in comparison to the control (i.e., the mice treated with DMBA and croton oil only) where tumor incidence was found to be 81.8%. The average number of papillomas per mouse was also significantly reduced. The results suggest a possible chemopreventive property of P. urinaria against DMBA-induced skin papillomagenesis in mice.

• Authors: R Bharali, J Tabassum, M R H Azad
• Journal: Indian journal of experimental biology (Indian J Exp Biol) Vol. 41 Issue 11 Pg. 1325-8 (Nov 2003) ISSN: 0019-5189 [Print] India
• PMID: 15332506 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carcinogens
• Plant Extracts
• 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene
• Croton Oil

Topics

• 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (toxicity)
• Animals
• Carcinogens (toxicity)
• Chemoprevention
• Croton Oil (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Mice
• Papilloma (chemically induced, pathology, prevention & control)
• Phyllanthus (chemistry)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (isolation & purification, therapeutic use)
• Skin Neoplasms (chemically induced, pathology, prevention & control)