Anticancer Activities of Four Medicinal Plants Grown in Funiu Mountain

The anticancer activities of Funiu mountain plants including Hedyotis diffusa,Epimedium sagittatum,Houttuynia cordata and Rabdosia rubescens used in cancer treatment were investigated. MTT cytotoxic assay was employed to evaluate growth inhibitory effects of herbal ethanol extracts(10%,30% and 70% ethanol) on esophageal and hepatic EC109 and HepG2 cancer cells after 24,48 and 72 hours exposures. The lowest IC50values(strongest effects) of Epimedium sagittatum and Houttuynia cordata were determined as low as 0. 18 mg /mL and 0. 16 mg /mL,respectively. The numbers for Hedyotis diffusa and Rabdosia rubescens were at 0. 52 mg /mL and 0. 66 mg /mL,respectively. The results show that ethanol extracts of Hedyotis diffusa,Epimedium sagittatum,Houttuynia cordata and Rabdosia rubescens demonstrate the dose-dependent and time-related growth inhibition on human esophageal cancer cell line EC109 or liver cancer cell line HepG2 for the first time,thus providing the scientific basis for their clinical uses and further investigation.