Mishra Shobhit, Alhodieb Fahad Saad, Barkat Md Abul, Hassan Mohd Zaheen, Barkat Harshita Abul, Ali Raisuddin, Alam Perwaiz, Alam Ozair
Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India.
Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Health Sciences in Arrass, Qassim University, P.O. BOX:6666, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Jan 10;282:114597. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114597. Epub 2021 Sep 4.
Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (C. reflexa) is a well-known traditional herbal plant, with numerous inherent therapeutic potentials including anticancer, antitumor, antibacterial, analgesic, anthelmintic, laxative and others. Moreover, the anticancer and antitumor potentials of this herb are ongoing with several trails, thus an attempt was made to assess the anticancer and hepatoprotective potentials of traditional C. reflexa herbs.
The dried ethanolic extract of C. reflexa was tested for acute oral toxicity in the treated animals subsequently their behavioral, neurological, and autonomic profiles changes were observed. The preliminary anti-cancer effects of extracts against 1, 2- Dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) induced animals were assessed through barium enema X-ray, colonoscopy, and Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) studies. The blood samples of the animals (treated and untreated) were collected and their in-vitro histological parameters were evaluated by the experienced technician.
It was observed that C. reflexa significantly reduced Disease activity indexing (DAI) level and ACF counting, as well as demonstrated similar activity as of the standard drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Histopathological results revealed that the apoptotic bodies decreased in the DMH-induced group (group II) during cancer progression while in 5-FU treated (group III) and C. reflexa treated (group IV and V) animals the apoptotic bodies were increased. Inversely, the mitotic bodies increased in group II animals and reduced in group III, IV, and V animals. In the colonic section, DMH-induced cancer assay exhibited significant effects on the levels of hemoglobin, Packed cell volume (PCV), Red blood cell (RBC) counts, Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), and was found to be less in group II animals whereas administration of C. reflexa efficiently recovered back the loss probably by healing the colon damage/depletion of cancer progression. Moreover, compared to the group II animals, the neutrophil count was within the normal range in C. reflexa administered group.
In the present study, the major hematological parameters significantly increased within DMH treated animals and exhibited extensive damage in the hepatic regions. Moreover, the histopathological findings demonstrated that the C. reflexa extracts potentially reduced the cell proliferation, with no toxicity. The C. reflexa extracts exhibited impending anti-cancer activity as well as protected the hepatic cells and thus could be potentially used in the management of colon or colorectal cancer and hepatic impairments.
菟丝子（Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.，C. reflexa）是一种著名的传统草药，具有多种内在治疗潜力，包括抗癌、抗肿瘤、抗菌、止痛、驱虫、通便等。此外，这种草药的抗癌和抗肿瘤潜力正在通过多项试验进行研究，因此我们尝试评估传统菟丝子草药的抗癌和保肝潜力。
对菟丝子的干燥乙醇提取物在受试动物中进行急性经口毒性试验，随后观察其行为、神经和自主神经特征的变化。通过钡灌肠X射线、结肠镜检查和异常隐窝灶（ACF）研究，评估提取物对1,2 - 二甲基肼（DMH）诱导的动物的初步抗癌作用。收集动物（处理组和未处理组）的血液样本，由经验丰富的技术人员评估其体外组织学参数。
观察到菟丝子显著降低疾病活动指数（DAI）水平和ACF计数，并且表现出与标准药物5 - 氟尿嘧啶（5 - FU）相似的活性。组织病理学结果显示，在癌症进展过程中，DMH诱导组（第二组）的凋亡小体减少，而在5 - FU处理组（第三组）和菟丝子处理组（第四组和第五组）动物中凋亡小体增加。相反，第二组动物的有丝分裂小体增加，而第三组、第四组和第五组动物的有丝分裂小体减少。在结肠切片中，DMH诱导的癌症检测对血红蛋白、红细胞压积（PCV）、红细胞（RBC）计数、平均红细胞血红蛋白浓度（MCHC）、平均红细胞体积（MCV）和平均细胞血红蛋白（MCH）水平有显著影响，并且发现第二组动物中的这些指标较低，而给予菟丝子可能通过修复结肠损伤/癌症进展的消耗有效地恢复了损失。此外，与第二组动物相比，菟丝子给药组的中性粒细胞计数在正常范围内。
在本研究中，DMH处理的动物体内主要血液学参数显著增加，肝脏区域出现广泛损伤。此外，组织病理学结果表明，菟丝子提取物可能降低细胞增殖，且无毒性。菟丝子提取物表现出潜在的抗癌活性，并能保护肝细胞，因此可能用于治疗结肠癌或结直肠癌以及肝脏损伤。
