Abstract
The search for cancer therapy with natural products continues to be a global effort. Many natural products have been tested globally against various cancer cell lines.
Urena lobata
Linn. (
U. lobata
) has been used as an ingredient in various formulations of traditional medicines for the treatment of cancers. The present study was undertaken to investigate the antitumor activity of the methanol (MEUL) and aqueous (AEUL) extracts of the
U. lobata
whole herb in Swiss Albino mice against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell line. Both extracts were administered orally (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) for 13 consecutive days. After 24 h of the last dose, the animals were scarified. The antitumor effect of the MEUL and AEUL was determined by evaluating the median survival time (days), %ILS, tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, non-viable tumor cell count and tumor weight (g) and hematological parameters of EAC-bearing mice. Both MEUL and AEUL showed significant decrease in tumor volume, the viable cell count, tumor weight, elevated mean survival time, %ILS and non-viable cell count. Hematological profile such as RBC, WBC, and haemoglobin count was reverted to normal level in treated mice. In conclusion, MEUL (400 mg/kg) showed prominent antitumor activity against EAC treated mice.