Anticancer Activity of Ethyl Acetate Root Extract of Xanthium strumarium Linn. in N-Nitroso N-Methyl Urea Induced Mammary Carcinoma in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of ethyl acetate root extract of Xanthium strumarium Linn. (EAREXS) in N-Nitroso N-methyl urea (NMU) induced mammary carcinoma in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats of 55 day old were divided into five groups (normal control, disease control, EAREXS 200 mg/kg, EAREXS 400 mg/kg, tamoxifen10 mg/kg) of six animals each. The mammary carcinoma was induced by two intraperitoneal doses of N-Nitroso N-methyl urea (NMU) (50mg/kg/body weight each) in 0.9% NaCl (maintained at 4°C) at 55 day of age and 4 week after the prior administration. The drug EAREXS was administered in two doses, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg orally and compared with the oral dose of tamoxifen (10 mg/kg). EAREXS 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and tamoxifen10 mg/kg decreased the tumor incidences by 50%, 66.67%, and 83.33% and the total number of tumors in group by 46.15%, 69.23% and 92.30% respectively, when compared to the disease control. EAREXS 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and tamoxifen10 mg/kg decreased the average tumor burden by 68.61%, 86.65% and 94.91% and average tumor volume by 66.45%, 82.01%, and 92.98% respectively, when compared to disease control group. The results concluded that EAREXS prevent the mammary carcinogenesis induced by N-Nitroso N-methyl urea in female Sprague-Dawley rats.