Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A study on antioxidant and apoptotic effect of Azadirachta Indica (neem) in cases of cervical cancer

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To study the anti-oxidant properties of neem (Azadirachta indica) in inducing apoptosis of cervical cancer cells and estimation of caspase activity and TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in monocytes of cervical cancer patients and controls.

Methods

Monocytes were cultured from blood samples of 65 study cases and 30 controls for the estimation of caspase 3, 8 and 9 with specific inhibitors and TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in culture supernatant of monocytes. Two cervical biopsies were taken from 18 cases of moderately differentiated SCC. One biopsy was formalin fixed for histopathology and the other for tissue culture was kept in RPMI-1640 medium to evaluate the apoptotic effect of neem extract on malignant cells.

Results

Neem-treated monocytes from cervical cancer patients showed high activity levels of caspase 3, 8, and 9. A decrease in TNF-α and an increase in IFN-γ levels was seen in culture supernatant of monocytes. Cyto- and histomorphology of neem-treated cervical cancer cells exhibited increased apoptosis.

Conclusion

Neem is a potent inducer of apoptosis in biopsies of cervical cancer patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. WHO (2006) Comprehensive cervical cancer control. A guide to essential practice, pp 13–24

  2. Harish Kumar G, Vidyapriyadarshini R, Vinothini G, Latchoumy Vidya, Nagini S (2009) The neem limonoids azadirachtin and nimbolide inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in an animal model of oral oncogenesis. Invest New Drugs 27(3):246–252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Priyadarshini RV, Manikandan P, Kumar GH, Nagini GS (2009) The neem limonoids azadirachtin and nimbolide inhibit hamster cheek pouch carcinogenesis by modulating xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, DNA damage, antioxidants, invasion and angiogenesis. Free Radic Res 43(5):492–504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Subapriya R, Bhuvneshwari V, Nagini S (2005) Ethanolic neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract induces apoptosis in hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis model by modulating of Bcl-2, Bim, caspase 8 and caspase 3. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 6(4):515–520

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dabash R, Vajpayee J, Jacob M, Dzuba I, Lal N, Bradley J, Prasad LB (2005) A strategic assessment of cervical cancer prevention and treatment services in 3 districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Reprod Health 2:11. doi:10.1186/1742-4755-2-11

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N (2004) Pathologic basis of disease, 7th edn. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 269–342

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gastman BR (2001) Apoptosis and its clinical impact. Head Neck 23(5):409–425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dash PR, Whitley GS, Ayling LJ, Johnstone AP, Cartwright JE (2005) Trophoblast apoptosis is inhibited by hepatocyte growth factor through the Akt and beta- catenin mediated up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Cell Signal 17:571–580

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Nanduri S, Thunuguntala SS, Nyavanandi VK et al (2003) Biological investigation and structure activity relationship studies on azadirone from Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 13(22):4111–4115

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sastry BS, Suresh BK, Hari Babu T et al (2006) Synthesis and biological activity of amide derivatives of nimbolide. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 16(16):4391–4394

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dhongade RK, Kavade SG, Damle RS (2008) Neem oil poisoning. Indian Pediatr 45(1):56–57

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Waterston A, Bower M (2004) TNF and cancer: good or bad? Cancer Ther 2:131–148

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hidalgo K, Rojas IG, Penissi AB, Rudolph MI (2005) TNF α increases in vitro migrations of human HPV- 18 positive SW- 756 cervical carcinoma cells. Biocell 29(3):303–311

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tartour E, Gey A, Sastre-Garau X, Lombard Surin I, Mosseri V, Feidman WH (1998) Prognostic value of intratumoral interferon γ messenger RNA expression in invasive cervical carcinomas. J Natl Cancer Inst 90:287–294

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bose A, Baral R (2007) Natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity of tumor cells initiated by neem leaf preparation is associated with CD40-CD40L-mediated endogenous production of interleukin-12. Hum Immunol 68(10):823–831

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Shaista M. Vasenwala, Reema Seth, Nazima Haider, Veena Maheshwari & Suhail ur Rehman

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Najmul Islam

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Tamkin Khan

Authors
  1. Shaista M. Vasenwala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Reema Seth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nazima Haider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Najmul Islam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tamkin Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Veena Maheshwari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Suhail ur Rehman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaista M. Vasenwala.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vasenwala, S.M., Seth, R., Haider, N. et al. A study on antioxidant and apoptotic effect of Azadirachta Indica (neem) in cases of cervical cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286, 1255–1259 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2428-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2428-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation