• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.4 s.131
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• pp.376-383
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• 2002

The methanol extracts prepared from ten kinds of culinary herbs were investigated for the cytotoxcic effect againt L1210 cancer cells and the mode of action. The substantial cytotoxic effects were observed in all cases with the most prominent effect demonstrated by lemon verbena extract showing $87{\pm}4.1%$ cytotoxicity with $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentration and 3 days culture period. The cytotoxic effect was found to be dose and culture period dependent. With respect to the mechanism of the cytotoxicity, the augmented generation of $O_2{^-}ion$ and the dramatically escalated activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroixdase (GPx) with addition of the herb methanol extractw suggested that there would be the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in the course of L1210 cancer cell death by the mothanol extract of the edible herbs.