Old Platycodon extracts for prevention of metastasis and cancer formation
Technical Field The present invention relates to an extract from Jang Saeng Doraji with anticancer and cancer metastasis inhibitory effects, and more particularly to an extract from Jang Saeng Doraji with inhibitory effects on cancer metastasis, cell adhesion, cell invasion and cell proliferation.
Background Art
The roots of a ballonflower ( Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC) , a member of Campanulaceae, are about 10-15 cm in main root length, 1-3 cm in diameter, brown-gray to milky in color, and have irregular stem sites at an upper portion, wrinkles in a longitudinal direction, and shell eyes and wrinkles in a transverse direction. Moreover, they are hard but non-fibrous in nature, and thus tend to be broken, and also have some smell and a biting taste (Ryuk, Chang-Soo, et al., Modern Pharmacognosy r Hackchangsa Co., Seoul, 460-461, 1993).
The principal pharmacological components of the ballonflower roots are triterpene saponins (platycodin A, C, D, D2 and D3) which form about 2% of the roots. By animal tests, it was confirmed that such pharmacological components have various effects, such as antitussive and expectorant effects, central nervous system inhibitory effects (sedation, pain alleviation and fever removal) , anti-inflammatory effects against acute and chronic inflammations, anti-ulcer effects, gastric juice secretion inhibitory effects,
anticholinergic effects of lowering blood pressure by vasodilatation, blood glucose lowering effects, and improvement effects on cholesterol metabolism (Chem . , Pharm. Bull . , 20, 1952 (1972); Chem. Pharm. Bull . , 23, 2965 (1975); J. Chem. Soc , Perkin trans I, 661 (1984); Sogoigaku, 3, 1 (1951); J. Pharm. , Soc. Kor. , 19, 164 (1975) ) . Other pharmacological components isolated from the balloonflower roots include steroid compounds, such as α- spinasterol, stigmast-7-enol, and α-spinasterol glucoside, and polysaccharides, such as inulin and betulin. As used herein, the term "Jang Saeng Doraji" refers to the name of over-20 year-old balloonflower roots, and it has been difficult to cultivate the balloonflowers for a long period, despite their various pharmacological effects. However, a technology which allows the cultivation of Jang Saeng Doraji, an over-20 year-old balloonflower root, was recently developed (Korean Patent No. 045731 to Lee, Sung-Ho, entitled "a method for producing perennial balloonflowers), and thus it was now possible to mass-produce Jang Saeng Doraji. This Jang Saeng Doraji is excellent in pharmacological effects and physiological activities as compared to those of general bolloonflower roots cultivated for 2-4 years. Studies on Jang Saeng Doraji till now include tests on anti- diabetic effects (J. Korean Soc. Food Sci. Nutri., 25, 986 (1996)) and tests on anti-hyperlipidemia (J. Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 93 (1973), 1188-1194), and studies on the prevention and inhibition of liver damages are being conducted. In addition, it is known that hot water and ethanol extracts from the balloonflower root inhibit mold apratoxin, the inulin fraction has phagocytosis and powerful anti-tumor effects against solid cancer
sacoma, and 40% extract from the bolloonflower roots has an inhibitory effect on alcohol absorption (Mycopathologia , 66, 16 (1979), Shoyakugaku Zasshi , 40, 367 (1986), Shoyakugaku Zasshi, 40,
375 (1986), Japanese Patent No. 60-89427 (1985)). A malignant tumor (cancer) which threatens the health of mankind is the first or second leading cause of death in the world, and is the most general cause of death next to cardiovascular diseases in the Western society. In the modern society, lung cancer increases due to population aging, an increase in smoking population, and air pollution. Also, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and the like show a tendency to increase due to the ingestion of high-fat diets resulting from Western eating habits, an increase in environmental contaminants, and an increase in alcohol drinking, etc. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for the development of anticancer substances which allow the early prevention and treatment of cancers, thus contributing to the promotion of human health, the improvement of healthy living quality, and the promotion of human health preservation. Drugs developed for cancer treatment till now have a low level of specificity to cancer cells since they act systemically by blood flow due to injection or oral administration for systemic treatment. Thus, the administration of such drugs has shortcomings in that it causes systemic side effects and shows more side effects than those of surgical operations or radiation therapies . The existing anticancer drugs are administered for 6 months to one year at intervals of 3-4 weeks 3-5 days each week, so that the anticancer drugs cause various side effects and thus cases where the therapy is discontinued often occur. The existing
chemical therapies of exhibiting medical effects by directly attacking cancer cells have very strong side effects and are nonspecific. Despite such shortcomings, epoch-making new drugs did not appear on the market during several recent years .
Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic agent for inhibiting cancer metastasis and tumor formation, the therapeutic agent comprising an extract from Jang Saeng Doraji, a safe, non-toxic natural substance, as an active ingredient . To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an agent for inhibiting tumor formation and cancer metastasis, the agent comprising an extract from Jang Saeng Doraji as an active ingredient. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail. The present inventors have extensive studies to develop an agent of inhibiting cancer metastasis and tumor formation using safe, non-toxic natural substances, and consequently found that an extract from Jang Saeng Doraji inhibits lung metastasis of cancer cells (melanoma) , cell adhesion, cell invasion and cell proliferation. On the basis of this finding, the present invention has been perfected. The Jang Saeng Doraji extract according to the present invention is produced by any method which is conventionally used in the art. The Jang Saeng Doraji extract is preferably hot water extract or organic solvent extract which can be prepared alone or
in a mixture with pharmaceutically acceptable herbal substances .
In the extraction of Jang Saeng Doraji, Jang Saeng Doraji powder is preferably used which are prepared by drying Jang Saeng Doraji to a moisture content of less than 5%, pulverizing the dried material, and selecting powder with a particle size of less than 0.6 mm. The hot water extract is preferably prepared by adding about 5-10-fold volume of water to the Jang Saeng Doraji powder, and extracting the solution at a temperature of 90-100 °C for 4-6 hours twice. The resulting filtrate is used alone or in a mixture with one selected from acceptable herbal substance or herbal extracts . The organic solvent extract is preferably prepared by adding about 3-fold volume of organic solvent to the Jang Saeng Doraji powder, extracting the solution at room temperature twice, concentrating the resulting filtrate under reduced pressure, and then adding one selected from acceptable herbal substances or herbal extracts, to the concentrate. As the organic solvent, alcohol, and preferably methanol or ethanol, may preferably be used. The inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract may be formulated by a known method using food-hygienically acceptable or pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, so as to prepare a pharmaceutical formulation. In the preparation of the pharmaceutical formulations, the Jang Saeng Doraji extract as an active ingredient is preferably either mixed or diluted with a carrier, or encapsulated in a case-like carrier. If the carrier is used as a diluent, it may be a solid, semi-solid or liquid
substance acting as a vehicle, excipient or medium. Thus, the formulation may be in the form of tablets, pills, powder, elixirs, suspension, emulsion, syrup, aerosol, soft or hard capsules, sterile injections, sterile powder and the like. Examples of suitable carriers, excipients or diluents can include lactose, dextrose, sucrose, sorbitol, mannitol, calcium silicate, cellulose, methyl cellulose, amorphous cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, water, methylhydroxybenzoate, propylhydroxybenzoate, talc, magnesium stearate, and mineral oil. The formulation may contain fillers, anti-flocculating agents, lubricants, wetting agents, perfumes, emulsifiers, preservatives, etc. The angiogenesis inhibitor comprising the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract can be formulated by any method well-known in the art such that, after administration to mammals, the rapid, sustained or delayed release of the active ingredient can be provided. The angiogenesis inhibitor comprising the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract as an active ingredient can be administered via various routes, oral, transdermal, subcutaneous, intravenous and intramuscular routes, depending on its purpose. For human beings, the daily dosage of the inventive extract may be generally 10-1,000 mg/kg of body weight, and preferably 10-100 mg/kg of body weight, and may be administered one time or several times. However, the actual dosage of the inventive extract should be determined in view of various factors, including administration routes, patient's age, sex and body weight, health conditions, disease severity, etc.
Brief Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 is a graphic diagram showing the number of colonies metastasized to the lungs, according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. FIG. 2 is a photograph showing colonies of melanoma cancer cell
B16-F10 metastasized to the lungs, after staining with hematoxylin-eosin.
FIG. 3 is a graphic diagram showing cell adhesion inhibition according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract .
FIG. 4 is a graphic diagram showing the number of invaded cells according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract .
FIG. 5 is a graphic diagram showing cancer cell proliferation inhibition according to the treatment concentration of the Jang
Saeng Doraji extract.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The present invention will hereinafter be described in further detail by examples and test examples . It is to be understood, however, that these examples are given to illustrate one preferred embodiment of the present invention and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Example 1 : Production of a hot water extract from Jang Saeng Doraji
2 liters of distilled water was added to 0.2 kg of Jang Saeng Doraji powder, and the solution was extracted twice at 90-95 °C for 5 hours and filtered. The filtrate was freeze-dried to obtain
100 g of Jang Saeng Doraji extract.
The following tests were performed in order to examine the inhibitory effects of the inventive agent against lung metastasis of melanoma cancer cells, cell adhesion, cell invasion, and cancer cell proliferation.
Test animals and treatment
1. Reagents
The following reagents were purchased and used.
B16F10 cell line was purchased from Korean Cell Line Bank, and Matrigel, eosin, gelatin, EMEM culture medium, and fetal bovine serum were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co.
2. Animals
As test animals, 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice weighing 25-30 g were used and allowed to access feedstuffs (Purina, Korea) and water freely. The animals were bred at a temperature of 21-24 °C and a relative humidity of 40-80% under a 12-hr light/12-hr dark cycle. Test Example 1 : Inhibitory effect of Jang Saeng Doraji extracts against lung metastasis of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10 in C57BL/6 mice
1. Test method
In order to examine the inhibitory effect of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract against cancer metastasis, metastatic melanoma cancer cell B16-F10 was injected into the tail vein of C57BL/6 test animals. Then, the Jang Saeng Doraji extracts were administered orally to the test animals, after which the number of colonies of melanoma cancer cell B16-F10 metastasized to the lungs was counted by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The results are given in Table 1
below . Table 1
FIG. 1 is a graphic diagram showing the number of colonies metastasized to the lungs, according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. The upper portion of FIG. 2 is a photograph showing colonies of melanoma cancer cell B16-F10 metastasized to the lungs, which had been taken after staining with hematoxylin-eosin. The lower portion of FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the results of hematoxylin-eosin staining on the melanoma cell tissue after embedding in paraffin. As evident from Table 1 and FIG. 1, the melanoma cell B16F10 was administered to the C57BL/6 mice, each concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extracts was administered to the mice for 14 days, the colony number of melanoma B16F10 cells metastasized to the lungs was counted, and the results showed that the number of colonies metastasized to the lungs was reduced depending on the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. Test Example 2: Inhibitory effect of Jang Saeng Doraji extracts against cell adhesion of melanoma cancer cell B16F10 1. Test method
In order to examine the cell adhesion inhibitory effect of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract, metastatic melanoma cancer cell B16F10 was subcultured in a 48-well plate coated with gelatin, and then,
JO- each concentration of the sample was placed in the well plate.
After 18 hours, cell adhesion was observed with a microscope so as to count the number of adhered cells . The results are shown in
FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a graphic diagram showing cell adhesion inhibition according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. As shown in FIG. 3, the cell adhesion inhibition increased depending on the treatment concentration of the Jang
Saeng Doraji extract. Test Example 3: Inhibitory effect of Jang Saeng Doraji extracts against cell invasion of melanoma cancer cell B16F10 1. Test method
In order to examine the cell invasion inhibitory effect of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract, metastatic melanoma cancer cell B16F10 was subcultured in a 48-well plate coated with matrigel, and then, each concentration of the sample was placed in the well plate. After 18 hours, cell invasion was observed with a microscope so as to count the number of invaded cells. The results are shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a graphic diagram showing the number of the invaded cells, according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. As shown in FIG. 4, the number of the invaded cells decreased depending on the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract, suggesting that the Jang Saeng Doraji extract has an inhibitory effect against the invasion of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10.
Test Example 4: Inhibitory effect of Jang Saeng Doraji extracts against proliferation of melanoma cancer cell B16F10
1. Test method
In order to examine the inhibitory effect of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract against cancer cell proliferation, metastatic melanoma cancer cell B16F10 was subcultured in a 48-well plate, and each concentration of the sample was placed in the well plate. After 24 hours, the number of proliferated cells was counted by the MTT method in which the concentration of formazan is measured based on the fact that mitochondria enzymes in cells can reduce MTT to form formazan. The results are shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a graphic diagram showing the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation according to the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. As shown in FIG. 5, the cell proliferation of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10 was inhibited depending on the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. As described above, the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract was examined for lung metastasis inhibitory effects in in vivo animal tests on C57BL/6 mice into which melanoma cancer cell line B16F10 had been administered via tail veins so as to induce lung metastasis. The results showed that the lung metastasis decreased depending on the treatment concentration of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract. Also, the inhibitory effect of the Jang Saeng Doraji extract against cell adhesion was examined in in vivo tests using melanoma cancer cell line B16F10, and the results showed that the cell adhesion of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10 decreased depending on the treatment concentration of the Saeng Doraji extract. Furthermore, the proliferation of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10 against the Saeng Doraji extract was examined in order to examine the inhibitory mechanisms of the Saeng Doraji extract
against the cell adhesion and invasion of melanoma cancer cell line B16F10, and the results that the proliferation of cancer cells decreased depending on the treatment concentration of the Saeng Doraji extract. Test Example 5 : Acute toxicity test
1. Oral administration
50 ICR mice weighing 25 g were divided into five groups each consisting of 10 animals. The inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract was administered orally to the five animal groups at dosages of 1, 5, 25, 125 and 625 mg/kg, respectively, and then observed for toxicity for 2 weeks. The results showed that there was no dead animal in all the five groups.
2. Abdominal administration
40 ICR mice weighing 25 g were divided into four groups each consisting of 10 animals. The inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract was administered into the abdominal cavity of the four animal groups at dosages of 0.2, 2, 20 and 200 mg/kg, respectively, and then observed for toxicity for 24 hours. The results showed that there was no dead animal in all the four groups . The above results confirmed that the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract has little or no acute toxicity.
The following formulation examples illustrate the formulation of an anticancer agent comprising the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract as an active ingredient. However, it is to be understood that the inventive anticancer agent is not limited by these formulation examples .
Formulation Example 1: Preparation of tablets Jang Saeng Doraji extract 50 mg
Lactose 20 mg
Starch 20 mg
Magnesium stearate qs
The above composition containing the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract as an active ingredient was tableted by a conventional tableting method so as to prepare tablets .
Formulation Example 2 : Preparation of capsule formulations
Jang Saeng Doraji extract 50 mg
Lactose 20 mg Starch 20 mg
Talc 1 mg
Magnesium stearate qs
The above composition containing the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract as an active ingredient was filled into gelatin capsules by a conventional method so as to prepare capsule formulations .
As described above, the inventive therapeutic agent comprising the inventive Jang Saeng Doraji extract, a safe, non-toxic natural substance, as an active ingredient, can inhibit cancer metastasis and tumor formation. Thus, the inventive therapeutic agent will be clinically useful for the treatment and prevention of cancers .
Industrial JS plicafoility As described above, the inventive Saeng Doraji extract- containing composition of inhibiting cancer metastasis and tumor formation will be useful as functional foods and medical drugs .