Antitumour Activity of Hypericum Perforatum and Hypericum Maculatum in Ehrlich Ascitic Carcinoma

Abstract

Hypericum perforatum or St. John's wort is a medicinal plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine all over. Because of bo th Romanian and European Pharmacopoeia accept as officinal only H. perforatum L, the aim of the present study is to compare the botanical and physiochemical characteristics of the H. perforatum and H. maculatum . The experiment was carried out on 40 white NMRI male mice, for 14 days long; each animal received 10 6 ascitic cells i.p., in the first day. Animals were divided in four equal exper imental groups, First group (HM) received daily 500 mg/kg b.w. H. maculatum , the second group (HP) 500 mg/kg b.w. H. perforatum, the control group alcohol 70°, and the last group Doxorubicin 0 .1 mg/animal in day 6 of experiment. The body weight varied in insignificant manner, however HM, seems to provided some protective effect as compared to control and even t o D group. The viable cell concentration of EAC, as expected, was the lowest in D group (highly statist ical significant), followed by HM, HP was less effective. The average life span was higher in D gr oup, but HM seems to provide also some protective effect, however the survival rate varied insignific ant among the groups in study. HM provides some protection against hematological side effects of EA C, mainly at MCH and MCHC levels. In conclusion, both extracts provides some promisin g antiproliferative effects, despite the fact that not all experimental data are statistically co vered, therefore future research should be done.