Antiproliferative Effect of Plant Extracts used in Tanzanian Traditional Medicine

C M Nshimo; A Kamuhabwa; P de Witte

C M Nshimo Muhimbili Medical Centre, P.O. Box 65022, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
A Kamuhabwa Labortorium voor Farmaceutische Biologie en Fytofarmacologie, Faculteit Farmaceutische Wetenschappen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Van Evenstraat 4. B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
P de Witte Labortorium voor Farmaceutische Biologie en Fytofarmacologie, Faculteit Farmaceutische Wetenschappen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Van Evenstraat 4. B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Keywords: Tanzanian medicinal plants, antiploriferative effect, cytotoxicity

Abstract

Thirty plants were collected from traditional healers for cytotoxicity screening. Only six plant extracts were found to have cytotoxic activity in vitro on the three human cell lines, RT-4 (transitional cell papillary carcinoma, urinary bladder), HT29 (colon adenocarcinoma) and A431 (epidermoid carcinoma). There was no correlation between the use of plants in traditional medicine and the cytotoxic activity found. The reason could in part, be due to the inability of traditional healers to diagnose cancer. The one plant claimed to be used to treat cancer by the traditional healers was found to be inactive in the bioassay (>63% proliferation). Isolation of the active ingredients and testing on different cell lines is necessary in determining selective cytotoxicity.