Abstract

EVALUATION OF IN VIVO ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF ALBIZIA LEBBECK BENTH

Vasanthi Padamanabhan*, Manimekalai Ganapathy and Vasthi Kennedy Evanjelene

ABSTRACT

Natural products are essential sources of anti-cancer drugs amongst other diseases. Indian subcontinent is a vast repository of medicinal plants that are used in traditional medical treatments. Cancer diseases are characterized by abnormal proliferation of cells. Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide with millions of new cancer patients diagnosed each year and many deaths resulting from this disease. Albizia lebbeck is a tree well known in the Indian subcontinent for its range of uses. In the present study, hydroalcoholic extracts of Albizia lebbeck was investigated for antioxidant, anticancer and hepatoprotective activity. Treatment with the sample of 200 mg/kg extract improved when compared to the CCl4 induced rats upon studying the antioxidant parameters. In the hepatoprotective studies, the 400 mg/kg was seen to give much better results than 200 mg/kg. Study of effect on anticancer parameters of DLA bearing mice showed that 400 mg/kg had better activity. Thus, it was concluded that Albizia lebbeck has potent antioxidant, anticancer and hepatoprotective activity.

Keywords: antioxidant, anticancer, hepatoprotective.