Antitumor activity and antioxidant status of Streblus asper bark against Dalton's ascitic lymphoma in mice

Streblus asper Lour (Moraceae), commonly known as Siamee Rough Brush in English is widely distributed in subtropical Asia and traditionally used for several medicinal purposes. In the present study, the ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol extract from Streblus asper bark (EASA) was evaluated for antitumor effect against Dalton's ascitic lymphoma (DAL) in Swiss albino mice. Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal inoculation of DAL cells in mice, EASA was administered intraperitoneally at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight for 9 consecutive days. On the 10th day, half of the mice were sacrificed to determine the tumor growth parameters, and the rest were kept alive for survival assessment. Hematological, serum biochemical and tissue (liver, kidney) antioxidant profiles were also determined. EASA exhibited significant and dose dependent decrease in tumor growth parameters and increased survival of DAL bearing animals. EASA significantly and dose-dependently normalized the altered hematological, serum biochemical and tissue antioxidant parameters as compared with the DAL control mice. From the present study it may be concluded that S. asper bark possesses remarkable antitumor efficacy mediated by amelioration of oxidative stress by multiple mechanisms.