• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.153-157
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• 1999

The anticancer effect of medicinal plants against two oral carcinoma cells, A253 and SCC-25 were investigated in this study. Methanol extracts from 63 medicinal plants, which have anticancer activities against other cancers such as stomach, hepatocellular or colon carcinomas, were prepared and screened for their anti- oral cancer activity by using MTT assay. Thirty one samples showed anti-oral cancer activity against either cell line used, however, other 32 samples had no anti-oral cancer activity. Among these samples methanol extract of Caesalpinia sappan revealed the strongest anti-oral cancer activity. The $IC_{50}$/ values of this extract against A253 and SCC-25 cells were 16 and 25 $\mu$g/m1, respectively. Fractions of n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, n-buthanol and water were prepared from methanol extracts of Caesalpinia sappan, Anthriscus sylvestris, Rhus japonica, Curcuma arowatica, Inula helenium, Sinoarnudinaria reticulata, and Polygonum cuspidatum, respectively. Among these 35 fractions the n-hexane fraction of Inula helenium showed the strongest anti-oral cancer activity, the $IC_{50}$/ value was 1.6$\pm$0.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. Ten other fractions showed $IC_{50}$/ values lower than 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2001

An appropriate amount of samples, collected from three each paddy forest, field and riverside soil near Taegu city, was suspended in sterile water and then diluted in order to isolation of antagonistic to oral cancer. The diluted samples were inoculated on separating medium in the routing spreading method. So, seven hundred and eighteen strains were isolated on HV agar and 220 strains were on methanol medium from soil samples. So, during the screening of anti-oral cancer activity from soil, we isolated microorganisms showing powerful antagonistic activity. Among them, No. 78 strain exhibited the most strongly anti-oral cancer activity. Microbiological properties were investigated by the methods described in the Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology and experimental methods of identification of actinomycetes by Hamada et al. As a result, a methylotrophic actinomycetes strain No. 79 was estimated as Amycolatopsis sp. based on taxonomic studies.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.175-181
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• 2016

Tyrosol, a phenylethanoid and a derivative of phenethyl alcohol, possesses various biological properties, such as anti-oxidative and cardioprotective activity. Olive oil is the principal source of tyrosol in the human diet. However, so far the anti-cancer activity of tyrosol has not yet been well defined. This study therefore undertakes to examine the cytotoxic activity and the mechanism of cell death exhibited by tyrosol in KB human oral cancer cells. Treatment of KB cells with tyrosol induced the cell growth inhibition in a concentration- and a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the treatment of tyrosol induced nuclear condensation and fragmentation of KB cells. Tyrosol also promoted proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8 and -9, increasing the amounts of cleaved caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9. In addition, tyrosol increased the levels of cleaved PARP in KB cells. These results suggest that tyrosol induces the suppression of cell growth and cell apoptosis in KB human oral cancer cells, and is therefore a potential candidate for anti-cancer drug discovery.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.135-141
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• 2007

Anti-proliferation of methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome on oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells were investigated. In order to elucidate the involvement of telomerase inhibitory activity as a part of anti-proliferative effect of Curcuma rhizome on cancer cells, we measured telomerase activity in Curcuma rhizome extract-treated cancer cells. The concentration inhibited cell proliferation to 50% $(IC_{50})$ of the methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome against oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) cells and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells were 21.30 ${\mu}g/ml$ and 39.3${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome showed inhibitory telomerase inhibitory effect which is required for cancer cell immortality. Therefore, it seems that the anticancer effect of methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome is at least partially due to telomerase inhibitory effect. Five fraction samples were prepared according to its polarity differences and analyzed anti-proliferative effects of each fraction samples on oral squamous cell carcinoma and osteosarcoma cells. Anticancer effect was observed in dichloromethane, and ethylacetate fractions. The highest anticancer effect was found in dichloromethane fraction which had $IC_{50}$ value of 23.3 ${\mu}g/ml$ and 10.5${\mu}g/ml$ against oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) cells and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells, respectively.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.215-220
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• 2010

Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, its anti-cancer properties have not yet been well defined. In our current study, we report the cytotoxic activity and the mechanism of cell death induced by ethanol extracts of Angelica decursiva (EEAD) against the human oral cancer cell line, KB. Treatment of KB cells with EEAD induced apoptotic cell death in both a dose- and time-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay and DNA fragmentation. However, no cytotoxic effects of EEAD against human normal oral keratinocytes (HNOK) were evident. By western blot analysis, we found that apoptosis in KB cells is associated with a decrease in procaspase-7 and -9. In addition, the activation of caspase-7 was detectable in living KB cells by fluorescence microscopy. These results suggest that EEAD exhibits anti-cancer activity in KB cells via apoptosis and thus has potential as an anticancer agent in future drug development strategies.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.113-118
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• 2007

Treatment of oral cancers with chemotherapeutic agents become evaluated as an effective method to reduce cancer cell proliferation. Anti-proliferative and anti-oral cancer activities of momordin I on oral cancer cells were evaluated in this study. Momordin I was originally purified from a natural product, Ampelopsis radix and showed the antiproliferative activity against oral carcinoma, KB cells. Obtained $IC_{50}$ value was approximately $10.4{\mu}g/ml$. Time-and dose-dependent chromosomal DNA fragmentations were observed in momordin I-treated KB cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed time-dependent apoptotic cell appearance after treatment of momordin I. Approximately 18.6% apoptotic cells were observed at 72 hours after $20{\mu}g/ml$ of momordin I treatment. These observation were consistent with the results obtained in DNA fragmentation analysis. These data suggest that momordin I has anti-proliferative effect and induces cell death in KB cells through apoptosis.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2000

Treatment of oral cancers with chemotherapeutic agents are evaluated as an effective method for remission to reduce cancer proliferation nowadays. But, minimization of side-effects such as bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal toxicity and renal damage is another problem to be solved. Thus, a possible approach to develop a clinically applicable chemotherapeutic agents is to screen anticancer activity among traditional medicinal plants which have been used for thousands of years with very low side-effects in orient. In this study we focused on screening anti-oral cancer activities among 14 traditional medicinal plant extracts that revealed anticancer activities on other solid tumors. The results were as follow : 1. Methanol extract of Lepidium apetalum showed the highest anti-oral cancer activity against A253 cells. At concentration of $4{\mu}g/ml$, the cell viability was 48% under our experimental condition. $IC_{50}$ value obtained was $4{\mu}g/ml$. 2. Methanol extract of Coptis japonica and Solanum nigrum were effective on KB cells. Cell viability observed were 62% and 67% at concentration of $4{\mu}g/ml$, and $IC_{50}$ values were $12{\mu}g/ml$ and $10{\mu}g/ml$ respectively. 3. When the methanol extract of Lonicera caerule was combined with $2{\mu}g/ml$ of cisplatin, the anticancer activity was synergistically increased. One hundred ${\mu}g/ml$ of Lonicera caerule showed 92%(alone) or 59%(combined with cisplatin) cell viabilities. $IC_{50}$ value of Lonicera caerule extract against KB cells was reduced from $301{\mu}g/ml$ to $126{\mu}g/ml$ when combined with $2{\mu}g/ml$ of cisplatin. 4. Medicinal plant extracts effective on both A253 and KB cells were Coptis japonica, Lepidium apetalum, Solanum nigrum, Caesalpiniae Lignum, Curcuma aromatica.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2019

Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl ursolic acid (HCUA), a triterpenoid compound, was purified from Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. This traditional medicinal plant has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and lung disorders as well as for its anti-inflammation and anticancer activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic-inducing activities of HCUA in oral cancer cells. HCUA exhibited anti-proliferative activity in oral cancer cell lines (Ca9-22 and SAS cells), but not in normal oral fibroblasts. The inhibitory concentration of HCUA that resulted in 50% viability was $24.0{\mu}M$ and $17.8{\mu}M$ for Ca9-22 and SAS cells, respectively. Moreover, HCUA increased the number of cells in the sub-G1 arrest phase and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in both oral cancer cell lines, but not in normal oral fibroblasts. Importantly, HCUA induced p53-mediated transcriptional regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bak, Bim, Noxa, and PUMA), which are associated with mitochondrial apoptosis in oral cancer cells via the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. HCUA triggered the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was ascertained to be involved in HCUA-induced apoptosis by the ROS inhibitors YCG063 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. As a result, HCUA had potential antitumor activity to oral cancer cells through eliciting ROS-dependent and p53-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Overall, HCUA could be applicable for the development of anticancer agents against human oral cancer.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.160-167
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• 2021

Nypa fruticans Wurmb (NFW) contains a large amount of phenolic acid and flavonoids, and is popular as a superfood in Myanmar. NFW has various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties; however, the anti-cancer effect of NFW have not been reported. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of water extracts of NFW (WeNFW) and the underlying mechanism in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. The WeNFW inhibited FaDu cell growth in a dose-dependent manner without affecting normal cells (L929), as determined by an MTT assay and Live and Dead assay. In addition, the concentrations of WeNFW without cytotoxicity (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/mL) inhibited wound healing and colony formation. Furthermore, WeNFW significantly induced apoptosis through the proteolytic cleavage of caspase-3 and -9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax in FaDu cells, as determined by DAPI staining, FACS analysis, and western blot analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that WeNFW exhibits potent anti-cancer effects by suppressing the growth of oral cancer cells, wound healing and colony formation activity. Via mitrochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, WeNFW can provide a natural chemotherapeutic drug for oral cancer in humans.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2018

Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot is an edible green seaweed that belong to the Codiaceae family and has been used in Oriental medicine for the treatment of enterobiasis, dropsy, and dysuria. Methanol extract of codium fragile has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, although the anti-cancer effect on oral cancer has not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity and the mechanism of cell death by methanol extracts of Codium fragile (MeCF) on human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Our data showed that MeCF inhibits cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, and markedly induced apoptosis, as determined by the MTT assay, Live/Dead assay, and DAPI stain. In addition, MeCF induced the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase -3, -7, -9 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP), and upregulated or downregulated the expression of mitochondrial-apoptosis factor, Bax(pro-apoptotic factor), and Bcl-2(anti-apoptotic factor). Futhermore, MeCF induced a cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase through suppressing the expression of the cell cycle cascade proteins, p21, CDK4, CyclinD1, and phospho-Rb. Taken together, these results indicated that MeCF inhibits cell growth, and this inhibition is mediated by caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways through cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, methanol extracts of Codium fragile can be provided as a novel chemotherapeutic drug due to its growth inhibition effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.