The anti- cancer effect of clinacanthus nutans in 4T1 breast cancer in balb/c mice

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers that cause death in the world especially among women. A good treatment should be applied to stop the growth of tumor and effectively regulate the immune system. Clinacanthus nutans was reported to have antioxidant properties against cancer cell lines. However, the in vivo antitumor effects of methanol extract C. nutans toward breast cancer have not been reported yet. The present study is to evaluate the anticancer effect of C. nutans methanol extracts and compare the effectiveness between high dose (1000mg/kg) and low dose (200mg/kg) of C. nutans leaf extract on breast cancer in Balb/c mice. As described in this study, methanol extract of C. nutans has decreased more mitotic cells in low dose compared to high dose of treatment, as evidenced by hematoxylin and eosin staining of the tumor. It modulated the immune system by increasing the population of cytotoxic and helper T cell but suppressed natural killer cell. Furthermore, methanol extract of C. nutans elevated the level of interleukin-2 and interferon gamma more in the low dose compared to the high dose of treatment. It was able to inhibit metastasis more effectively in low dose of treatment, as evidenced by bone marrow smearing and clonogenic assay. Besides, methanol extract of C. nutans was also found to possess antioxidant effect by decreasing the NO and MDA levels and it was more effective in the low dose of treatment. On the whole, the low dose of methanol extract of C. nutans may serve as an agent in curing breast cancer