Antitumor and immunopotentiating activity of polysaccharide PST001 isolated from the seed kernel of Tamarindus indica: an in vivo study in mice

ScientificWorldJournal. 2012:2012:361382. doi: 10.1100/2012/361382. Epub 2012 Apr 19.

Abstract

Antitumor activity of polysaccharide PST001 isolated from the seed kernel of Tamarindus indica was evaluated using different cancer cell lines. Human cancer cell lines A549, KB, and MCF-7 and murine cancer cell lines DLA and EAC were treated with PST001 and cell growth inhibition was assessed by MTT assay. In vivo studies were carried out for toxicity, tumor reduction and immunomodulation. The respective IC(50) of PST001 in A549, KB, and DLA was at 80.72, 190.99, and 91.14 μg/mL. Significant tumor reduction was obtained in both DLA and EAC tumors on treatment with PST001 which was more prominent when PST001 was administered with CTX/5-fluorouracil. Increase in total WBC, CD4(+) T-cell population, and bone marrow cellularity suggested strong immunomodulatory activity for this compound. No significant abnormality was observed in toxicity studies. Thus the results of the present study suggest that PST001 has immunomodulatory and tumor inhibitory activities and has the potential to be developed as an anticancer agent and immunomodulator either as a sole agent or as an adjuvant to other chemotherapeutic drugs.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / toxicity
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Cyclophosphamide / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology*
  • Immunologic Factors / toxicity
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / toxicity
  • Polysaccharides / administration & dosage
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Polysaccharides / toxicity
  • Seeds / chemistry*
  • Tamarindus / chemistry*
  • Toxicity Tests
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polysaccharides
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Fluorouracil