• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.35 no.2 s.137
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• pp.147-151
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• 2004

Water extracts from Thesium chinense Tunczaninov (TCTW) and Prunella vulgaris L. (PVW) were tested for aromatase and cyclooxygenase activities. TCTW and PVW were capable of suppressing aromatase in a human placenta microsomal assay. PVW was shown to be more effective than TCTW in the suppression of aromatase activity. TCTW significantly inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity at the concentration of 0.25 (p<0.05), 0.5 (p<0.01) and 2.5 mg/ml (p<0.005). PVW also inhibited COX-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner in a concentration range of $0.05{\sim}2.5\;mg/ml$. The expression of COX-2 was inhibitied by TCTW and PVW in western blot analysis. These results suggest that TCTW and PVW may have breast cancer chemopreventive potentials by inhibiting aromatase and cyclooxygenase activities.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.2 s.133
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• pp.161-165
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• 2003

Ethanol extract from Thesium chinense Tunczaninov (TCTE) was tested for breast cancer chemopreventive activity by measuring 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) - induced cytochrome P450 1A1 activity, induction of quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione level. TCTE significantly inhibited cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity at the concentration of 90 and 150 mg/ml. TCTE induced quinone reductase activity in a dose-dependent manner in a concentration range of 3-150 mg/ml. In addition glutathione S-transferase activity and glutathione level were increased with TCTE in cultured murine hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. These results suggest that TCTE has breast cancer chemopreventive potential by inhibiting cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity, inducing quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities, and increasing GSH level.