article · BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Dolomiaea costus is a traditional medicinal plant examined for its potential anticancer and antiviral properties. Researchers used high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to analyse phytoconstituents in an ethanol extract of the plant. In laboratory assays, the extract inhibited the proliferation of human breast cancer cells, showing values of 15.50 and 44 micrograms per millilitre. Genetic analysis confirmed that the extract induced programmed cell death, demonstrated by the upregulation of the Bax and Caspase 3 apoptotic genes. Additionally, the extract exhibited antiviral activity against human adenovirus 5 at non-toxic concentrations through virucidal and adsorption mechanisms. These early findings indicate that components of the extract may serve as candidates for future targeted therapies, though further investigation into specific mechanistic pathways is necessary.
Breast cancer and viral infections remain major global health challenges that require new therapeutic options. Investigating traditional medicinal plants allows researchers to identify natural compounds capable of targeting disease mechanisms. By demonstrating both cytotoxic effects on cancer cells and antiviral action in cell cultures, this work provides a basis for developing plant-derived therapeutic candidates.
This research is at an early laboratory stage and is relevant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing oncology or antiviral therapies. The extract could potentially serve as a basis for targeted treatments using nanoformulation drug delivery platforms. However, real-world application remains distant, as the extract requires deeper mechanistic evaluation and extensive in vivo testing before clinical viability can be established.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
BACKGROUND: Dolomiaea costus (syn: Saussurea costus; Family Asteraceae) occupies an important place in the traditional Chinese medicinal plants and is prescribed for a wide range of disorders. The current study aimed to tentatively identify the phytoconstituents of D. costus extract and to explore antiproliferative activity against human breast cancer cells and its possible apoptotic mechanism along with antiviral activity against human adenovirus 5 (Adv-5). METHODS: The phytoconstituents of 70% ethanol extract of D. costus were assessed using HPLC/ESI-MS/MS technique. The cell viability was investigated against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Mechanistically, the apoptotic effects on the Bax, Bcl2 and Caspase 3 were determined via quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Further, the antiviral activity was assessed against Adv-5 based on virucidal and adsorption mechanisms. RESULTS: values of 15.50 and 44 µg/ml, respectively, indicating its aggressiveness against the proliferation of breast cancer cells as confirmed by apoptotic genes expression which revealed upregulation of Bax and Caspase 3 but further insight analysis is needed to explore exact mechanistic pathway. Antiviral activity against Adv-5 was observed at a non-toxic concentration of the tested extract. CONCLUSIONS: Such observations against human breast cancer and viral replication supported further studies for nanoformulations in drug delivery systems as targeting therapy and in vivo studies before biomedical applications.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04164-9
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
