Antineoplastic and antioxidant activities of Oxystelma esculentum on Swiss albino mice bearing Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma

The present study investigated the antitumor effect and antioxidant role of the methanol extract of Oxystelma esculentum R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) (MEOE) on tumor growth and the host survival time with mice. The antitumor and antioxidant potential of Oxystelma esculentum were studied against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma cell line (EAC) treated mice. MEOE was administered at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (bw) once a day for 9 days after 24 h of tumor inoculation. Among the treated animals, six animals were sacrificed for biochemical and tumor analysis, and the remaining four groups were kept to study lifespan. On day 10, the parameters of tumor volume, packed cell volume, viable, and non-viable cell count were studied. Hematological and liver biochemical parameters, and antioxidant enzymes such as lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), etc. were estimated. Decreases in tumor volume, packed cell volume, and viable cell count were observed in MEOE-treated mice when compared to EAC-treated mice. Treatment with MEOE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg increased the mean survival time to 29.66 ± 0.71 and 34.33 ± 2.34 days, compared with EAC-treated mice at 19.16 ± 1.13 days. The extract also decreased the body weight of the EAC-bearing mice. Hematological profiles indicated a decrease in white blood cells (WBC), an increase in red blood cells (RBC), and, thereby, Hemoglobin (Hb). MEOE restored all the parameters of hematological profiles to approximately normal. Treatment with MEOE decreased the levels of LPO and increased the levels of GSH, SOD, and CAT. These data indicate the methanol extract of Oxystelma esculentum exhibits significant antitumor activity, which might be due to the antioxidant effects on EAC bearing hosts.