Inhibitory effect of a polysaccharide from Tinospora cordifolia on experimental metastasis

Administration of the polysaccharide fraction from Tinospora cordifolia was found to be very effective in reducing the metastatic potential of B16F-10 melanoma cells. There was a 72% inhibition in the metastases formation in the lungs of syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, when the drug was administered simultaneously with tumour challenge. Biochemical parameters such as lung collagen hydroxyproline, hexosamines and uronic acids that are markers of neoplastic development were reduced significantly (P<0.001) in the treated animals compared with the untreated control animals. The treatment could also reduce serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) and sialic acid levels as compared to the control animals.