Abstract

Glycyrrhiza inflata Licorice, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used as therapeutic ingredients as anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral in many chronic diseases. Anti-cancer activity of licorice total flavonoids (LTFs) from Xinjiang G. inflata, on cervical carcinoma cells was investigated. LTFs were prepared from G. inflate. After determination of content by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC), the finger print map was characterized by Electro Spray Mass Spectrometry. SiHa cervical carcinoma cells were treated with LTFs, and cell viability and cellular apoptosis were determined by both MTT method and flow cytometry. In the dose range of 0 to 500 μgml^-1 LTFs, the cell viability dropped gradually with the LTFs treatment, the lowest level by MTT detection was 12%; in the dose range of 0 to 1000 μgml^-1 LTFs, the ratio of cellular apoptosis induced by LTFs increased gradually, the highest level by flow cytometry detection was up to 78%. It can be concluded that LTFs had relatively high anti-cancer activity on cervical carcinoma cells including the inhibition of cell growth and viability by induction of cellular apoptosis. This work may provide important evidence for further screening and isolation of active ingredients of flavonoids as well as the development of new natural anti-cancer drugs.

Key words: Xinjiang Glycyrrhiza inflata, licorice total flavonoids (LTFs), anti-cancer activity.

Abbreviation

Abbreviations: MTT, 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide;SiHa, cervical carcinoma cell lines; HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatographic;LTFs, licorice total flavonoids; RSD, relative standard deviation.