Planta Med 2007; 73 - P_267
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-987048

Anti-inflammatory and anti-leukemic activities of the flower extracts from Thai medicinal plants

C Noysang 1, K Schmidt 2, T Efferth 3, O Luanratana 4, R Bauer 1
  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacognosy, Karl-Franzens-University, Universitaetsplatz 4, 8010 Graz, Austria
  • 2Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Karl-Franzens-University, Universitaetsplatz 4, 8010 Graz, Austria
  • 3German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
  • 4Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Mahidol University, 10400 Bangkok, Thailand

Based on the traditional medical use in Thailand, the flowers of six medicinal plants were investigated for anti-inflammatory and anti-leukemic activities. In the screening, the n-hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts were tested for anti-inflammatory activity by the inducible nitric oxide synthase assay (iNOS) [1] and for anti-leukemic activity by a growth inhibition assay against human CCRF-CEM leukemia cell line [2]. The results from the iNOS assay showed that the tested extracts were only weak inhibitors with inhibition rates of 0–53% at 10µg/ml. The n-hexane extracts of Mammea siamensis (Miq.) T. Anderson, Mesua ferrea Linn. and the dichloromethane extracts of Mesua ferrea Linn. and Michelia alba DC. exhibited very strong cytotoxic effect against human CCRF-CEM leukemia cells at 10µg/ml with inhibition values of 85–99%. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active extracts is in progress.

Acknowledgements: C.N. is thankful to Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi for a Ph.D. scholarship.

References: [1] Baer, H.P. et al. (1995) Life Sci. 57: 1973–80. [2] Efferth, T. et al. (2002) Blood Cells Mol. Dis. 28: 160–8.