Inhibitory Effect of Petroleum Ether Extract of Panaz Ginseng Root against Growth of Human Cancer Cells

고려인삼 중 Petroleum Ether 추출물의 인체 암세포 증식억제효과

This study was attempted to screen the cytotoxic activity of petroleum ether ex- tract from panax ginseng root against human colon cancer cells. Two extracts of panax ginseng root, crude and partially purified, were used for this experiment. The crude extract was prepared by extraction with petroleum ether using Soxhlet aparatus for 12 to 15 hours from panax ginseng and the extract was partially purified by silicic acid column with mixture of petroleum ether: ethyl ether (70 : 30, v/v). Three species of human colon cancer cells, HRT-18, HCT-48 and HT-29, were maintained in DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium), and the cells were cultured in DMEM containing serial concentration of the crude or partially purified fraction to observe the cytotoxic activity of the both extracts. The effects of incubation time and concentration of the both extracts in culture medium against the growth of the each cancer cell were determined. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The doubling times of the HRT-18, HCT-48 and HT-29 cells were about 20, 24 and 22 hours, respectively. 2, The inhibitory effects of the crude extract on the growth of cancer cells were increased according to the rise of concentration of the extract and incubation time. 3. The inhibitory effect of partially purified fraction on the growth of HRT-18 cell was about 4 times stronger than that of the crude extract under same experimental condition. 4 The inhibitory effects of the crude and purified fraction on the growth of each cancer cell were shown difference by the kind of the cancer cell. In view of the above results, it could be said that the petroleum ether extract of panax ginseng root inhibited the division of the human colon cancer cell, in vitro.