Toona Sinensis Extracts Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in the Human Lung Large Cell Carcinoma

Toona sinensis extracts have been shown to exhibit anti-cancer effects in human ovarian cancer cell lines, human promyelocytic leukemia cells and human lung adenocarcinoma. Its safety has also been confirmed in animal studies. However, its anti-cancer properties in human lung large cell carcinoma have not been studied. Here, we used a powder obtained by freeze-drying the super-natant of centrifuged crude extract from Toona sinensis leaves (TSL-1) to treat the human lung carcinoma cell line H661. Cell viability was evaluated by the 3-(4-,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that TSL-1 blocked H661 cell cycle progression. Western blot analysis showed decreased expression of cell cycle proteins that promote cell cycle progression, including cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and cyclin D1, and increased the expression of proteins that inhibit cell cycle progression, including p27. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that TSL-1 induced H661 cell apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that TSL-1 reduced the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2, and degraded the DNA repair protein, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. TSL-1 shows potential as a novel therapeutic agent or for use as an adjuvant for treating human lung large cell carcinoma

Effects of Toona Sinensis Leaf Extract on Lipolysis in Differentiated 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

The effect of substances extracted from Toona sinensis leaves with 50% alcohol solution on lipolysis was investigated in cultured 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes. The amount of glycerol released from cells into culture medium was used to measure lipolysis activity. Glycerol release was increased by Toona sinensis leaf extract in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Following treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells with various concentrations of Toona sinensis leaf extract (0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/mL) for 6 hours, the amounts of glycerol released from 3T3-L1 cells increased from a control value of 99 nmol/mg protein to 127, 144, and 154 nmol/mg protein, respectively. The lipolytic effect of Toona sinensis leaf extract was not inhibited by pretreatment of cells with cycloheximide, econazole, baicalein, or indomethacin. However, the lipolytic activity induced by Toona sinensis leaf extract was diminished by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine-5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl cAMP) and the protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C. These results indicate that the lipolytic effect induced by Toona sinensis leaf substances may be involved in the protein kinase C pathway and may be down-regulated by cAMP

Toona sinensis Roem tender leaf extract inhibits SARS coronavirus replication

This paper reports for the first time that extract from a vegetable, the tender leaf of Toona sinensis Roem, can inhibit SARS-CoV in vitro. Thererfore, the tender leaf of Toona sinensis Roem may be an important resource agninst SARS-CoV