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Published on: September 7, 2013
Cytotoxic effect of garlic extract and its fractions on Sk-mel3 melanoma cell line
Hoda Hakimzadeh1, Tooba Ghazanfari, Batool Rahmati
1Department of Science and Research, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, I.R. Iran.
Abstract:
Cutaneous cancers are among the most common forms of cancer. Melanoma is an aggressive malignancy which is poor in prognosis. Despite of many years of researches, the treatment of melanoma is still a problem. Historically, plants have been main resources in traditional medicine and natural products are considered as important sources of antitumor drugs. Meanwhile, garlic for a long time has been used in man's food as a medicinal plant. In this study, the garlic extract was prepared and fractionated by ultra-filtration method with Amicon system. Garlic extract and its fractions including residue (R) 100, R50, R30, R10, R5, and filtrate (F) 5 were investigated for their cytotoxic activities on Sk-mel3 cell line of melanoma. The results show that garlic extract induced a significant cytotoxic activity on Sk-mel3 cell line. Among fractions R100 and R10 have more potential in cytotoxic activities against Sk-mel3 melanoma cells. In conclusion, garlic appears to be a good candidate as an antitumor agent against melanoma. To clarify the effective molecules and their mechanisms more studies should be applied on animal models and humans.
Insights
Garlic extract shows significant cytotoxic activity against melanoma cells. Specific fractions, R100 and R10, demonstrate the most potent anti-melanoma effects, suggesting garlic
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacognosy
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Cutaneous cancers, including melanoma, represent a significant global health challenge with limited treatment options.
- Natural products, historically derived from plants, are crucial sources for developing novel antitumor drugs.
- Garlic (Allium sativum) has a long-standing history of use in traditional medicine and culinary applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the cytotoxic potential of garlic extract and its ultra-filtered fractions against the Sk-mel3 melanoma cell line.
- To identify specific garlic fractions exhibiting promising anti-melanoma activity.
Main Methods:
- Garlic extract was prepared and fractionated using an ultra-filtration method with an Amicon system.
- Fractions included residue (R) 100, R50, R30, R10, R5, and filtrate (F) 5.
- Cytotoxic activity was assessed on the Sk-mel3 human melanoma cell line.
Main Results:
- Garlic extract demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects on the Sk-mel3 melanoma cell line.
- Fractions R100 and R10 exhibited the most pronounced cytotoxic activities against Sk-mel3 cells.
- These findings highlight the anti-melanoma potential of specific garlic components.
Conclusions:
- Garlic extract and its fractions possess notable cytotoxic properties against melanoma.
- Fractions R100 and R10 are particularly effective, indicating their potential as natural antitumor agents.
- Further research involving animal models and human studies is warranted to elucidate active compounds and mechanisms.

