Study the Possible Synergistic Antitumor Activity of Camellia sinensis and Peganum harmala
Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: Plant derived compounds may exert a new approach to the treatment of different types of tumors.
Objectives: To evaluate the possible cytotoxic effect of the methanolic extract of either Camellia sinensis or Peganum harmala alone or combination with each other by in vitro study utilizing the tumor cell line L20B.
Methods: The study was designed as follows: the effect of methanolic extract for each plant; C. sinensis and P. harmala was studied on tumor cell line L20B for 48 hr incubation period, each extract was tested on its own with different concentrations. As well as, the synergistic effect of mixture of Camellia and Peganum extracts was studied on the growth of the same cell line at the same incubation period.
Results: The cytotoxic effect of C. sinensis extract on tumor cell line was obvious and stronger than that of P. harmala and that of Camellia and Peganum. The cytotoxic effect of C. sinensis extract on cell line was obvious and strong but less than that of the positive control Methotrexate. The cytotoxic effect of P. harmal was less effective on cell line at the same incubation period. The results illustrated a clear cytotoxic activity of these extracts with high significances on the tumor cell line.
Conclusions: The cytotoxicity arises with the increased concentrations, suggesting that the cytotoxic effect of these extracts is a dose dependent.
Keywords: C. sinensis, P. harmala, cytotoxicity, antitumor activity, L20B cell line.
Copyright (c) 2011 Iraqi Medical Journal

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