Antitumor Activity of Ethyl Acetate Extract from Formica aquilonia in vitro

In order to evaluate the antitumor activity of red wood ants (Formica aquilonia) from Changbai mountain, ethyl acetate extract from this species of red wood ants and its ethyl acetate-soluble and water-soluble fractions were investigated for effects on proliferation and apoptosis of dRLh-84 cells using MTT assay and fluoroscopic observation, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract was able to inhibit the proliferation of dRLh-84 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Active components in the extract were transferred into ethyl acetate phase in ethyl acetate-water extraction due to low polarity so that the ethyl acetate phase also exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of dRLh-84 cells, which depended on dose with an IC50 of 60 μg/ml. Fluoroscopic observation indicated that the extract had an obvious apoptosis-promoting effect on dRLh-84 cells.