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In vitro cytotoxic screening of 31 crude extracts of Thai herbs on a chondrosarcoma cell line and primary chondrocytes and apoptotic effects of selected extracts

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Abstract

Thirty-one dichloromethane and methanol crude extracts of 16 herb species used in Thai traditional folk medicine were studied for their cytotoxic activities on the SW 1353 chondrosarcoma cell line and primary chondrocytes. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) cell viability assay and flow cytometric method were used as screening tools for cytotoxicity testing. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was measured and reported for each crude extract. Apoptosis, necrosis, and cell viability were measured by flow cytometry at IC50. Two out of 31 herbal extracts, methanol extracts of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis and Ficus thailandica C.C. Berg & S. Gardner, showed potent anticancer activity. They demonstrated high apoptosis induction activity in SW 1353 cells but had less effect on percentage of viability and necrosis of normal chondrocyte cells. Cytotoxic screening and apoptosis assays suggest the potential anticancer activity of some plants used in Thai traditional medicine and provide information concerning their direct effects.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for research funds received through a CMU Research Group Grant (2015), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, and a 2015 Faculty Grant (R000013457), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The authors also wish to acknowledge additional research funding from Chiang Mai University through the research administration office that provided a budget for the Excellence Center in Osteology Research and Training Center (ORTC).

Authors’ contributions

N.R. designed and performed experiments and analyzed primary data. P.S. oversaw laboratory work and analyzed secondary data. K.S. performed extraction of crude extracts. S.C. and S.O. gave advice on all experiments. K.N. designed and conducted the overall study. N.R., P.S., and K.N. assisted in discussions and in writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Napat Ruamrungsri, Puntita Siengdee & Korakot Nganvongpanit

  2. Department of Animal and Aquatic Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Korawan Sringarm

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Siriwadee Chomdej

  4. Thailand Excellence Center for Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, Department of Biochemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Siriwan Ongchai

  5. Excellence Center in Osteology Research and Training Center, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Korakot Nganvongpanit

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  1. Napat Ruamrungsri
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  2. Puntita Siengdee
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Correspondence to Korakot Nganvongpanit.

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Ruamrungsri, N., Siengdee, P., Sringarm, K. et al. In vitro cytotoxic screening of 31 crude extracts of Thai herbs on a chondrosarcoma cell line and primary chondrocytes and apoptotic effects of selected extracts. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 52, 434–444 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-016-0006-4

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