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Planta Med 2015; 81(01): 15-19
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1383363
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antitumour Efficacy of Piper tuberculatum and Piplartine Based on the Hollow Fiber Assay

Daniel P. Bezerra
1   Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
,
Paulo Michel P. Ferreira
2   Departamento de Biofísica e Fisiologia/Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
,
Camila Maria L. Machado
3   Departamento de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
,
Nayara C. de Aquino
4   Departamento de Química Orgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
,
Edilberto R. Silveira
4   Departamento de Química Orgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
,
Roger Chammas
3   Departamento de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
,
Claudia Pessoa
5   Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
6   Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 05 September 2014
revised 21 October 2014

accepted 30 October 2014

Publication Date:
17 December 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Piper tuberculatum, popularly known in Brazil as “jaborandi falso” and “pimenta darta”, is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases. In this study, the in vivo hollow fiber assay was used to investigate the antitumour efficacy of the crude extract and piplartine obtained from P. tuberculatum roots. Human glioblastoma (SF-295) and colon carcinoma (HCT-8) cell lines were used. In vitro cytotoxicity was assayed by the MTT assay. In the hollow fiber assay, nude mice implanted with tumour cells in hollow fibers were treated for four consecutive days via the intraperitoneal route, and tumour cell populations were assessed by the MTT assay. Both the crude extract and piplartine displayed cytotoxicity. In the hollow fiber assay, tumour growth inhibition rates were 24.6–54.8 % for the crude extract and 33.7–62.2 % for piplartine. No signal of toxicity was noticed. In conclusion, the crude extract and piplartine obtained from P. tuberculatum roots displayed in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficacy.

Key words

Piper tuberculatum - Piperaceae - Piplartine - antitumour - hollow fiber
 

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