Anti-Tumor - Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. has been used for thousands of years in China as a remedy against cancer and inflammatory diseases. In this study, the extract from the stem of C. orbiculatus was used. Mouse hepatic carcinoma cells (Hepa1-6) were treated with COE in different nontoxic concentrations (10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 μg/mL).

COE significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in Hepa1-6 cells and inhibited VEGF expression at both mRNA and protein levels.

In summary, COE could be used to treat hepatic carcinoma. The mechanisms of the antitumor activity of COE may be due to its effects against tumor angiogenesis by targeting the VEGF protein.

(Article)

Mice bearing transplanted tumor S180 and Heps were used to study the effects of acetoacetate and n-butanol extractive from C. orbiculatus. The changes in serum contents of SOD and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were assayed.

Acetoacetate and n-butanol extractive from C. orbiculatus have anti-tumor effects and anti-oxidative capacity.

(Article)  

Apoptotic Effects - In this study they investigated the apoptotic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Celastrus orbiculatus (C. orbiculatus) extract in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

COE significantly inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis of HCCLM6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis was accompanied by increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression. In addition, COE treatment led to the release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).

COE induces mitochondrial-mediated, caspase-dependent apoptosis in HCCLM6 cells, which might be attributed to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inhibition of Akt signaling pathways. These data suggest that COE may be a potential treatment for human hepatocellular carcinoma.

(Article)

Anti-Cancer - In this study, we investigated anticarcinogenic effects of Celastrus orbiculatus (CO). CO was extracted with methanol (COM), and then further fractionated into four different types: methanol (COMM), hexane (COMH), butanol (COMB) and aqueous (COMA) partition layers.

Alt