Objective: To investigate the anticancer activity of the total flavonoids isolated from a herbal formula, Xianhe Yanling Recipe (仙鹤延龄方), a recipe commonly used in cancer patients in China.
Methods: The in vitro anticancer activity of the total flavonoids was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on three cancer cell lines: MCF-7 (a human breast adenocarcinoma cell line), HepG-2 (a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) and ES-2 (a human ovarian cancer cell line). The in vivo anticancer effect of the total flavonoids was assessed in a mouse tumor model bearing H22-induced hepatocellular carcinoma, and cisplatin was used as a positive control.
Results: The total flavonoids exerted a powerful inhibitory effect on the three cell lines, with 50% inhibiting concentrations (IC(50)) of 24.948, 31.569 and 6.923 μg/mL, respectively. In vivo studies showed that the total flavonoids had dose-dependent inhibitory effects on hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.
Conclusion: The total flavonoids from Xianhe Yanling Recipe have potential anticancer activity, and further researches and development are warranted.