Anti-proliferative activities of selected Chinese medicinal herbs against human cancer cell lines

The main objective of this study was to investigate the anti-proliferative properties of selected traditional Chinese medicinal herbs with a view to discover potential candidates for the isolation of anti-cancer compounds and also for designing new anti-cancer herbal formulations. The plants selected for this study have ethno pharmacological importance and currently used in Chinese medicine. The Methylthiazolyldiphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted to determine the anti-proliferative properties of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the selected herbs against one control cell line and 5 human carcinoma cell lines. The key herbs found in this study that are expected to have excellent future potential are: Ligustrum lucidum, Paeonia suffuticosa, Sarcandra glabra, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Sanguisora officinalis. The study also indicated that the ethanol extracts of the selected herbs were generally more effective than the aqueous extracts. The findings of this study provide strong evidence that some of the medicinal plants examined are potential candidates for the isolation of anti-cancer compounds and also for designning new anti-cancer herbal formulations