Abstract

R. Balaji*, N. Rekha, M. Deecaraman and L. Manikandan

The methanolic fraction of Jatropha curcas was studied for its anti-metastatic activity using B16F10 melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice. Simultaneous administration of methanolic fraction at doses 100 and 200mg/kg, p.o significantly (p < 0.01) inhibited the metastatic colony formation of the melanoma in lungs by 47.54 and 69.52% respectively, with increase in the survival rate of the metastatic tumour bearing animals, as compared to the untreated control animals. Lung collagen hydroxyproline content was highly elevated in the control animals, which was reduced by the simultaneous administration of methanolic fraction at the tested dose levels. The level of lung hexosamines and uronic acid content was also elevated in the control animals. Administration of methanolic fraction of J. curcas at tested dose levels 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o significantly reduced the elevated level of hexosamine and uronic acid content, when compared to that of vehicle treated control animals. Levels of serum sialic acids and - glutamyltranspeptidase that are markers of neoplastic proliferation were also reduced in the methanolic fraction treated animals as compared to the higher levels in the control animals. Histopathological analysis of the lung tissues also correlated with these findings. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of methanolic fraction of J. curcas on B16F10 melanoma cells was studied using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; Thiazolyl blue) assay and the IC50 was found to be 24.8 µg/ml. Thus, simultaneous administration of methanolic fraction of J. curcas at the tested dose levels were effective in inhibiting the metastasis of B16F10 melanoma cells and possessed significant anti-metastatic and antiprolifertaive activity.