European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DETERMINATION OF EFFICACY AND MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANTIMETASTATIC COMPONENTS FROM BLACK CUMMINS (NIGELLA SATIVA) AND SWALLOW ROOT (DECALEPIS HAMILTONII) USING IN VITRO BIOCHEMICAL AND CELL CULTURE ASSAY MODEL SYSTEMS

*Vulli Venkata Rao, Vempati Poornodai, Nancy Bonareri Mitaki, and Suberu Safiu Adewale

ABSTRACT

Cell division or cell proliferation is a physiological process that occurs in almost all tissues and under many circumstances. Normally the balance between proliferation and programmed cell death is tightly regulated to ensure the integrity of organs and tissues. Mutations in DNA that lead to cancer, disrupt these orderly processes. The uncontrolled and often rapid proliferation of cells can lead to either a benign tumor or a malignant tumor (cancer). Studies have indicated that galectin-3 expression is correlated with metastatic potential in certain malignancies. Higher levels of galectin-3 have been shown to correlate with the advancement of the cancer disease and it is believed that galectin-3 of cancer cells binds to normal cells and transforms them to cancer cells and hence establishes secondary tumors. This study was carried out to determine the efficacy and mechanism of action of antimetastatic components from black cummins (Nigella sativa) and swallow root Decalepis hamiltonii) using in vitro biochemical and cell culture assay model systems. SRPP which showed galectin-3 inhibitory activity as evaluated by inhibition of agglutination of red blood cells, also inhibited invasion and induced apoptosis in vitro. These observations taken together suggest that SRPP can reduce tumor cell invasiveness by suppressing galectin-3 mediated cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins in the basement membrane of normal cells and hence may subject such cells to apoptosis and hence may become a potential cancer therapeutic agent.

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