Abstract
Morinda citrifolia leaf has anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects against lung cancer. The
effects of the extract on metastasised lung and liver cancer tissues were compared
to Erlotinib (an anticancer drug) for cancer aggression, proliferation, and angiogenesis.
Forty Balb/c mice were induced to develop metastatic lung and liver tumours via xenograft
subcutaneous injection of non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells (2×107 cells/mouse) into their backs. The extract (150 and 300 mg/kg body weight) and Erlotinib
(50 mg/kg body weight) were fed to the mice for 21 days, and the microstructure and
mRNA expressions of the tumour tissues were analysed. The extract dose-dependently
downregulated RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase, B cell leukaemia/lymphoma
2, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 14, mitogen-activated protein kinase
1, and vascular endothelial growth factor alpha in these tissues. The scopoletin (coumarin)
and epicatechin (flavonoid) standardised extract also mitigated the cancerous tissues
microstructure changes, and suppressed the tissue remodeling enzyme (matrix metallopeptidase
9) and angiogenesis biomarkers (epidermal growth factor receptor and integrin). The
300 mg extract/kg body weight was more effective than the 50 mg Erlotinib/kg body
weight in suppressing the lung and liver tumoor metastasis. The extract inhibited
the cancer aggression by interfering with epidermal growth factor receptor and mitogen-activated
protein kinase carcinogenesis pathways, and suppressing proliferation, tissue remodelling,
and angiogenesis without any observable side effects at the given dose.
Key words
Morinda citrifolia - Rubiaceae - scopoletin - epicatechin - carcinogenesis - angiogenesis