Original Articles
NipunDashora and L. S. Chauhan
Abstract
The objective of the present study is to explore the anti-oxidant activity of the methanolic and aqueous extracts and anticancer activity of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the Luffa acutangula in Swiss albino mice against Dalton’s Lymphoma Ascites cells. Both methanolic and aqueous extracts exhibited antioxidant activity determined by in vitro models. Anticancer activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Luffa acutangula was evaluated in Swiss albino mice at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight orally. Both extracts at both doses were administered for 13 consecutive days. After 24 h of the last dose and then eighteen hours of fasting, the mice were sacrificed and antitumor effect of ethanolic and aqueous extracts was assessed by evaluating tumor weight and tumor volume. Both the extracts showed significant decrease in (p<0.0001) tumor volume and weight. The results demonstrated that the extract has potent dose dependent anticancer activity comparable to that of cisplatin. Aqueous extract at both doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) and ethanolic extract at 400 mg/kg dose showed potent anticancer activity.