Cytotoxic and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Medicinal Plants and Women’s Health Remedy Found in “Mahachotarat Scripture” of Thai Traditional Medicine
Nuanjan Jaiaree PhD* Arunporn Itharat PhD*,**, Srisapa Ruangnoo PhD*
Affiliation : * Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand ** Center of Excellence on Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Research, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand
Background : “Mahachotarat” is a lesson for woman’s care from the Thai traditional medicine book, composed of both
medicinal plants and herbal remedies that can treat both pain and cervical cancer. Medicinal plants and herbal remedies,
which have often been used in the treatment of pain and cancer, were selected to investigate for biological activity related to
woman’s health. They were Boesenbergia rotunda Linn, Piper nigrum Linn, Zingiber cassumunar Roxb, Zingiber officinale
Roscoe, Zingiber zerumbet (L) Smith, Dioscorea birmanica Prain & Burkill including its ingredient; Prosapogenin A of
dioscin and Leard-ngam remedy.
Objective : The objective was to investigate cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities of all sample plants.
Material and Method: Medicinal plants and Leard-ngam remedy were extracted similarly to that practiced by Thai traditional
practitioners (ethanol and water extraction). Bioassay guide fractionation was used for isolating pure compound. The
structure elucidation of pure compound was proven by spectrophotometry technique. These extracts were tested for their
cytotoxic activity against Hela cells, cervical cancer cells, by sulforhodamine B assay, inhibition of nitric oxide and prostaglandin
E2 production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells.
Result: This study showed that P. nigrum, Z. officinale, B. rotunda and Z. cassumunar showed potent inhibitory activity on
nitric oxide and PGE2 production. The 95% ethanolic extract of Z. zerumbet had the highest cytotoxic activity on Hela cells
with IC50 value of 4.42+0.20 μg/ml. Diosgenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnosyl (1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside or Prosapogenin A of
dioscin, which was purified from the 95% ethanolic extract of D. birmanica, showed strong cytotoxic activity on Hela
cells with IC50 value of 6.07+0.02 μg/ml.
Conclusion : Thai medicinal plants and LG remedies which have often been used in the treatment of pain and cancer by Thai
traditional practitioners, showed high anti-inflammatory properties on both pathways which represent chronic and acute
inflammation. Interestingly, some medicinal plants were used daily in Thai food. In addition, Z. zerumbet and D. birmanica,
which has often been used in the treatment of cancer, also showed high cytotoxic activity against cervical cancer cells.
Keywords : Anti-inflammatory, Cytotoxic, Medicinal plants, Leard-ngam remedy
