Anti-tumor Promoting Activity of Some Malaysian Traditional Vegetables (Ulam)

  • Mooi, L. Yang (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia) ;
  • Ali, A.M. (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Universiti Putra Malaysia) ;
  • Norhanom, A.B. (Centre for the Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya) ;
  • Salleh, K. Mat (Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) ;
  • Murakami, A. (Department of Biotechnological Science, Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University) ;
  • Koshimizu, K. (Department of Biotechnological Science, Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University)
  • Published : 1999.03.01

Abstract

Ethanolic extracts of different parts of 10 local traditional vegetables (ulam) (Amaranthus gangeticus, Jussiaea linifolia, Eugenia polyantha, Trapa incisa, Trichosanthes anquina, Mangifera indica, Pachyrrhirus erosus, Barringtonia mcarostachya, Carica papaya, and Coleus tuberosus) were screened for in vitro antitumor promoting activity using the inhibition test of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and sodium-n-butyrate. All the extracts were found to have strong inhibition activity toward EBV-activation, except for leaf extract of T. anquina. The extracts were non-cytotoxic to the Raji cells except for the extracts of A. gangeticus (leaves), B. macrostachya (leaves), E. polyantha (young leaves), and J. linifolia (leaves) where the viability of the cells were decreased significantly.

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