evaluation of antitumor and antioxidant activity of oxalis corniculata linn. against ehrlich ascites carcinoma on mice

background: present investigations were carried out to evaluate an ethanolic extract of oxalis corniculata linn. for its anticancer and antioxidant activity in ehrlich acsites carcinoma (eac) - induced in swiss albino mice. methods: cancer was induced in mice by aspiration of peritoneal fluid of eac inoculated mice and diluted to get 1x10 6 cells/ml in phosphate buffer. cancerous animals were divided into four groups having six mice in each in which group iii and iv cancerous animals were treated with the ethanolic extract of oxalis corniculata linn. one hundred and 400 mg/kg respectively, whereas group v cancerous animals received standard drug cyclophosphamide 25 mg/kg. the test and standard drugs were administered orally 24 hrs after the inoculation of eac for 9 days. the several changes of antitumor potential of eeoc were accessed. biochemical parameters such as total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (ast), alanine aminotransferase (alt), alkaline phosphatase (alp), lipid peroxidation and enzymatic antioxidants were determined. results: the present study revealed that eeoc showed significant antitumor and antioxidant activities in eac bearing mice. the dose dependent reduction in body weight, tumor volume, packed cell volume, tumor cell counts and increase in median survival time (mst) and percentage increase in life span in eeoc treated animals were observed. there was a significant increase in rbc count; hb content in eeoc treated animals and reduction in total wbc count. there was a significant increase in total protein and albumin content, but decrease in ast, alt and alp contents in eeoc treated animals. a significant decrease in liver mda levels and increase in catalase and reduced glutathione levels were observed in eeoc treated animals. conclusion: results conclude that the eeoc was effective in inhibiting the tumor growth in ascitic and solid tumor models. the biochemical and antioxidants studies were also supported its antitumor properties. keywords: oxalis corniculata; anticancer activity; antioxidants activity; ehrlich ascites carcinoma please cite this article as: kathiriya a, das k, kumar ep, mathai k b. evaluation of antitumor and antioxidant activity of oxalis corniculata linn. against ehrlich ascites carcinoma on mice. iran j cancer prev.2010; vol 3, no 4, p.157-65. 1. http://www.who.int/cancer/publicat/whocancerbrochure2007.finalweb.pdf , (accessed on 18/11/2009), (who. the world health organization’s fight against cancer: strategies that prevent, cure and care. switzerland: who press, 2007). 2. http://www.mohfw.nic.in/kk/95/i9/95i90e01.htm   (accessed on 26/11/09). 3. lasic dd. doxorubicin in sterically stabilized liposomes. nature 1996; 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