RT Journal Article
T1 A new extract of the plant Calendula officinalis produces a dual in vitro effect: cytotoxic anti-tumor activity and lymphocyte activation
A1 Jiménez-Medina, Eva
A1 Garcia-Lora, Angel
A1 Paco, Laura
A1 Algarra, Ignacio
A1 Collado, Antonia
A1 Garrido, Federico
K1 Plant Extracts
K1 Antineoplastic Agents
K1 Antineoplásicos
K1 Apoptosis
K1 Calendula
K1 Línea Celular Tumoral
K1 Humanos
K1 Activación de Linfocitos
K1 Linfocitos
K1 Ratones
K1 Ratones Desnudos
K1 Trasplante de Neoplasias
K1 Fitoterapia
K1 Extractos Vegetales
K1 Animales
AB BACKGROUNDPhytopharmacological studies of different Calendula extracts have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-genotoxic properties of therapeutic interest. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro cytotoxic anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities and in vivo anti-tumor effect of Laser Activated Calendula Extract (LACE), a novel extract of the plant Calendula Officinalis (Asteraceae).METHODSAn aqueous extract of Calendula Officinalis was obtained by a novel extraction method in order to measure its anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities in vitro. Tumor cell lines derived from leukemias, melanomas, fibrosarcomas and cancers of breast, prostate, cervix, lung, pancreas and colorectal were used and tumor cell proliferation in vitro was measured by BrdU incorporation and viable cell count. Effect of LACE on human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation in vitro was also analyzed. Studies of cell cycle and apoptosis were performed in LACE-treated cells. In vivo anti-tumor activity was evaluated in nude mice bearing subcutaneously human Ando-2 melanoma cells.RESULTSThe LACE extract showed a potent in vitro inhibition of tumor cell proliferation when tested on a wide variety of human and murine tumor cell lines. The inhibition ranged from 70 to 100%. Mechanisms of inhibition were identified as cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and Caspase-3-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, the same extract showed an opposite effect when tested on PBLs and NKL cell line, in which in vitro induction of proliferation and activation of these cells was observed. The intraperitoneal injection or oral administration of LACE extract in nude mice inhibits in vivo tumor growth of Ando-2 melanoma cells and prolongs the survival day of the mice.CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that LACE aqueous extract has two complementary activities in vitro with potential anti-tumor therapeutic effect: cytotoxic tumor cell activity and lymphocyte activation. The LACE extract presented in vivo anti-tumoral activity in nude mice against tumor growth of Ando-2 melanoma cells.
PB BioMed Central
YR 2006
FD 2006-05-05
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/607
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/607
LA en
NO Jiménez-Medina E, Garcia-Lora A,  Paco L, Algarra I, Collado A, Garrido F. A new extract of the plant calendula officinalis produces a dual in vitro effect: cytotoxic anti-tumor activity and lymphocyte activation.  BMC Cancer. 2006 May 5;6:119.
DS RISalud
RD Apr 10, 2025