Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer effects of solvent fractions from prunella vulgaris var. lilacina

Authors: Yu-Jin Hwang, Eun-Ju Lee, Haeng-Ran Kim, Kyung-A Hwang

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on exploring the potential antioxidant properties of plant extracts or isolated products of plant origin. Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Europe, and it continues to be used to treat inflammation, eye pain, headache, and dizziness. However, reports on the antioxidant activities of P. vulgaris var. lilacina are limited, particularly concerning the relationship between its phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anticancer activities of an ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions.

Methods

Dried powder of P. vulgaris var. lilacina was extracted with ethanol, and the extract was fractionated to produce the hexane fraction, butanol fraction, chloroform fraction and residual water fraction. The phenolic content was assayed using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Subsequently, the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract and its fractions were analyzed employing various antioxidant assay methods including DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, SOD activity and production of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the extract and fractions were assayed for their ability to exert cytotoxic activities on various cancer cells using the MTT assay. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death by RT-PCR.

Results

The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extract and water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina were 303.66 and 322.80 mg GAE/g dry weight (or fractions), respectively. The results showed that the ethanol extract and the water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina had higher antioxidant content than other solvent fractions, similar to their total phenolic content. Anticancer activity was also tested using the HepG2, HT29, A549, MKN45 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results clearly demonstrated that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract induced significant cytotoxic effects on the various cancer cell lines, and these effects were stronger than those induced by the P. vulgaris var. lilacina solvent fractions. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death. We confirmed that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract and water fraction significantly increased the expression of p53, Bax and Fas.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions could be applied as natural sources of antioxidants and anticancer activities in food and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Halliwell B, Gutteridge JMC: Free radicals in biology and medicine. J Free Radic Biol Med. 1985, 1: 331-332. 10.1016/0748-5514(85)90140-0.CrossRef
2.
Finkel T, Holbrook NJ: Oxidants, oxidative stress and the biology of ageing. Nature. 2000, 408 (6809): 239-247. 10.1038/35041687.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Madhavi D, Deshpande S, Salunkhe DK: Food Antioxidants: Technological: Toxicological and Health Perspectives: CRC Press. 1995
4.
Moure A, Cruz JM, Franco D, Domıinguez JM, Sineiro J, Dominguez H, José Núñez M, Parajó JC: Natural antioxidants from residual sources. Food Chem. 2001, 72 (2): 145-171. 10.1016/S0308-8146(00)00223-5.CrossRef
5.
Ito N, Hirose M, Fukushima S, Tsuda H, Shirai T, Tatematsu M: Studies on antioxidants: their carcinogenic and modifying effects on chemical carcinogenesis. Food Chem Toxicol. 1986, 24 (10): 1071-1082.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Safer A, Al-Nughamish A: Hepatotoxicity induced by the anti-oxidant food additive, butylated hydroxytoluene BHT, in rats. An electron microscopical study. Histol Histopathol. 1999, 14: 391-406.PubMed
7.
Mohsen SM, Ammar AS: Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of corn tassel extracts. Food Chem. 2009, 112 (3): 595-598. 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.06.014.CrossRef
8.
Chua M-T, Tung Y-T, Chang S-T: Antioxidant activities of ethanolic extracts from the twigs of Cinnamomum osmophloeum. Bioresour Technol. 2008, 99 (6): 1918-1925. 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.03.020.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Zhu Y-P: Chinese materia medica: chemistry, pharmacology and applications. 1998, Boca Raton: CRC Press
10.
Namba T: The Encyclopedia of Wakan-Yaku: traditional Sino-Japanese medicines, with color pictures. 1994, Osaka: Hoikusha
11.
Lamaison J, Petitjean-Freytet C, Carnat A: Medicinal Lamiaceae with antioxidant properties, a potential source of rosmarinic acid. Pharm Acta Helv. 1990, 66 (7): 185-188.
12.
Xu H-X, Lee SH, Lee SF, White RL, Blay J: Isolation and characterization of an anti-HSV polysaccharide from Prunella vulgaris. Antiviral Res. 1999, 44 (1): 43-54. 10.1016/S0166-3542(99)00053-4.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Okuda T, Hatano T, Agata I, Nishibe S: The components of tannic activities in Labiatae plants. I. Rosmarinic acid from Labiatae plants in Japan. Yakugaku Zasshi. 1986, 106: 1108-1111.
14.
Wang Z: Studies on the chemical constituents from Prunella vulgaris. Acta Pharm Sin. 1999, 34: 679-681.
15.
Jing T, Zhiyan X, Yayan C, Yuying Z, Zhuju W: Structure identification of vulgarsaponin A. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2000, 35: 29-31.
16.
Lee IK, Lee SY, Kim KR, Choi SU, Hong JK, Lee JH, Park YH, Lee KR: Triterpenoic acids of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina and their cytotoxic activities in vitro. Archives of Pharm Res. 2008, 31 (12): 1578-1583. 10.1007/s12272-001-2154-6.CrossRef
17.
Hwang KA, Hwang YJ, Park DS, Kim JH, Om AS: In vitro investigation of antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities of Korean wild edible vegetable extracts and their correlation with apoptotic gene expression in HepG2 cells. Food Chem. 2011, 125 (2): 483-487. 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.09.037.CrossRef
18.
Ryu SY, Oak M-H, Yoon S-K, Cho D-I, Yoo G-S, Kim T-S, Kim K-M: Anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory triterpenes from the herb of Prunella vulgaris. Planta Med. 2000, 66 (04): 358-360. 10.1055/s-2000-8531.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Psotova J, Kolář M, Soušek J, Švagera Z, Vičar J, Ulrichová J: Biological activities of Prunella vulgaris extract. Phytother Res. 2003, 17 (9): 1082-1087. 10.1002/ptr.1324.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Singleton V, Rossi JA: Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagents. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. 1965, 16 (3): 144-158.
21.
Blois MS: Antioxidant determinations by the use of a stable free radical. Nature. 1958, 181: 1199-1200. 10.1038/1811199a0.CrossRef
22.
Benzie IF: Ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay: direct measure of total antioxidant activity of biological fluids and modified version for simultaneous measurement of total antioxidant power and ascorbic acid concentration. Method Enzymol. 1999, 299: 15-27.CrossRef
23.
Re R, Pellegrini N, Proteggente A, Pannala A, Yang M, Rice-Evans C: Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radic Biol Med. 1999, 26 (9): 1231-1237.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Hansen MB, Nielsen SE, Berg K: Re-examination and further development of a precise and rapid dye method for measuring cell growth/cell kill. J Immunol Methods. 1989, 119 (2): 203-210. 10.1016/0022-1759(89)90397-9.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Wu X, Beecher GR, Holden JM, Haytowitz DB, Gebhardt SE, Prior RL: Concentrations of anthocyanins in common foods in the United States and estimation of normal consumption. J Agric Food Chem. 2006, 54 (11): 4069-4075. 10.1021/jf060300l.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Reddy VK, Sreeramulu D, Raghunath M: Antioxidant activity of fresh and dry fruits commonly consumed in India. Food Res Int. 2010, 43 (1): 285-288. 10.1016/j.foodres.2009.10.006.CrossRef
27.
Behera BC, Verma N, Sonone A, Makhija U: Optimization of culture conditions for lichen Usnea ghattensis G. Awasthi to increase biomass and antioxidant metabolite production. Food Technol Biotechnol. 2009, 47 (1): 7-
28.
Kosanić M, Ranković B, Stanojković T: Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity of 3 Umbilicaria species. J Food Sci. 2012, 77 (1): T20-T25. 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02459.x.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Cai Y, Luo Q, Sun M, Corke H: Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of 112 traditional Chinese medicinal plants associated with anticancer. Life Sci. 2004, 74 (17): 2157-2184. 10.1016/j.lfs.2003.09.047.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Liu H, Qiu N, Ding H, Yao R: Polyphenols contents and antioxidant capacity of 68 Chinese herbals suitable for medical or food uses. Food Res Int. 2008, 41 (4): 363-370. 10.1016/j.foodres.2007.12.012.CrossRef
31.
Shan B, Cai YZ, Sun M, Corke H: Antioxidant capacity of 26 spice extracts and characterization of their phenolic constituents. J Agric Food Chem. 2005, 53 (20): 7749-7759. 10.1021/jf051513y.CrossRefPubMed
32.
LeBel CP, Ischiropoulos H, Bondy SC: Evaluation of the probe 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescin as an indicator of reactive oxygen species formation and oxidative stress. Chem Res Toxicol. 1992, 5 (2): 227-231. 10.1021/tx00026a012.CrossRefPubMed
33.
34.
Woo HJ, Jun DY, Lee JY, Woo MH, Yang CH, Kim YH: Apoptogenic activity of 2α, 3α-dihydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid from Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is mediated via mitochondria-dependent activation of caspase cascade regulated by Bcl-2 in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011, 135 (3): 626-635. 10.1016/j.jep.2011.03.067.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Lee K-H, Lin Y-M, Wu T-S, Zhang D-C, Yamagishi T, Hayashi T, Hall IH, Chang J-J, Wu R-Y, Yang T-H: The cytotoxic principles of Prunella vulgaris, Psychotria serpens, and Hyptis capitata: ursolic acid and related derivatives1. Planta Med. 1988, 54 (04): 308-311. 10.1055/s-2006-962441.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Hsu Y-L, Kuo P-L, Lin C-C: Proliferative inhibition, cell-cycle dysregulation, and induction of apoptosis by ursolic acid in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Life Sci. 2004, 75 (19): 2303-2316. 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.04.027.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Psotova J, Svobodova A, Kolarova H, Walterova D: Photoprotective properties of Prunella vulgaris and rosmarinic acid on human keratinocytes. J Photochem Photobiol B Biol. 2006, 84 (3): 167-174. 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2006.02.012.CrossRef
38.
Lai CS, Mas RH, Nair NK, Maji MI, Mansor SM, Navaratnam V: Typhonium flagelliforme inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and induces apoptosis: an evaluation by the bioactivity guided approach. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008, 118: 14-20. 10.1016/j.jep.2008.02.034.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Soengas MS, Alarcon R, Yoshida H, Hakem R, Mak T, Lowe S: Apaf-1 and caspase-9 in p53-dependent apoptosis and tumor inhibition. Science. 1999, 284 (5411): 156-159. 10.1126/science.284.5411.156.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Miyake H, Hanada N, Nakamura H, Kagawa S, Fujiwara T, Hara I, Eto H, Gohji K, Arakawa S, Kamidono S: Overexpression of Bcl-2 in bladder cancer cells inhibits apoptosis induced by cisplatin and adenoviral-mediated p53 gene transfer. Oncogene. 1998, 16 (7): 933-943. 10.1038/sj.onc.1201602.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Feng L, Au-yeung W, Xu YH, Wang SS, Zhu Q, Xiang P: Oleanolic acid from Prunella Vulgaris L. Induces SPC-A-1 cell line apoptosis via regulation of Bax, Bad and Bcl-2 Expression. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2011, 12: 403-408.PubMed
Metadata
Title
In vitro antioxidant and anticancer effects of solvent fractions from prunella vulgaris var. lilacina
Authors
Yu-Jin Hwang
Eun-Ju Lee
Haeng-Ran Kim
Kyung-A Hwang
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-13-310

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2013 Go to the issue

Research article

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of Cocos nucifera var. typica

Research article

Dietary grape polyphenol resveratrol increases mammary tumor growth and metastasis in immunocompromised mice

Research article

Opinions on Kampo and reasons for using it – results from a cross-sectional survey in three Japanese clinics

Research article

Protective activity of Panduratin A against Thioacetamide-induced oxidative damage: demonstration with in vitro experiments using WRL-68 liver cell line

Research article

Antileptospiral activity of xanthones from Garcinia mangostanaand synergy of gamma-mangostin with penicillin G

Research article

A screening for antimicrobial activities of Caribbean herbal remedies