Anti-carcinogenic and anti-angiogenic properties of the extracts of Acorus calamus on gastric cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Acorus calamus (A. calamus) has been used as a medicinal plant in Asia for its effects on digestive system for the last 2000 years. To investigate the anti-cancer activity of rhizome of A. calamus, the ethanolic and methanolic extracts and essential oil of the rhizome were prepared and their effects were assessed on human gastric cancer cell line (AGS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The viability of cells which were treated with the extracts and the essential oil was assessed by MTT assay. To evaluate the anti-angiogenic property of the extracts, in vitro tube formation assay was done. Cell cycle distribution and the expression of Oct4 and Nucleostemin, after treatments, were checked by flowcytometry and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of essential oil from A.calamus was done by GC-MS.

RESULTS: Our results showed that the growth of AGS cells was inhibited by the extracts and essential oil and the extracts inhibited the angiogenesis in HUVEC cells. Our data revealed that the extracts and essential oil of A. calamus caused G1 arrest in AGS cells and downregulation of Oct4 and NS after treatment. By GC-MS analysis, we found new compounds such as epiprezizaene, valencene and isocyclocitral in essential oil of A.

CONCLUSION: All together, our results showed that the extracts of A. calamus have anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic effects on cancer cells.