Anticancer Activity of Ocimum Sanctum
- 1 January 1999
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Pharmaceutical Biology
- Vol. 37 (4), 285-290
- https://doi.org/10.1076/phbi.37.4.285.5801
Abstract
Ocimum sanctum L. (Labiatae), a plant with various medicinal properties, has been investigated against human fibrosarcoma cells (HFS cells) in culture. Treatment with an ethanolic extract of Ocimum sanctum induced cytotoxicity at 50 µg/ml and above. Morphologically the cells showed shrunken cytoplasm and condensed nuclei. The DNA was found to be fragmented on observation in agarose gel electrophoresis. Biochemically the extract-treated HFS cells showed depleted intracellular glutathione and increased levels of lipid peroxidation products. Administration of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Ocimum sanctum to mice bearing Sarcoma-180 solid tumors mediated a significant reduction in tumor volume and an increase in lifespan. These observations clearly indicate Ocimum sanctum extracts possess anticancer activity.Keywords
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