Effect of anhydrosophoradiol-3-acetate of Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) flower as antitumoric agent against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma in mice.

BACKGROUND Over 60% of currently used anti-cancer agents are derived in one-way or another from natural sources, including plants, marine organisms and microorganisms. Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) (Family: Asclepiadaceae) is a perennial shrub and it is used as a traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various health complications. But there is no report on isolation of anticancerous chemicals from the flower of Calotropis gigantea. The objective of the present study is to explore the antitumor effect of anhydrosophoradiol-3-acetate (A3A), isolated from the flower of Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. METHODS Antitumoric effect of A3A was assessed by evaluating viable tumor cell count, survival time, body weight gain due to tumor burden, hematological and biochemical (glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea, SALP, SGPT and SGOT) parameters of EAC bearing host at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight. RESULTS Treatment with A3A decreased the viable tumor cells and body weight gain thereby increasing the life span of EAC bearing mice. A3A also brought back the altered hematological (Hb, total RBC and total WBC) and biochemical parameters more or less to normal level. CONCLUSION Results of this study conclude that in vivo the A3A was effective in inhibiting the growth of EAC with improving in cancer induced complications.