Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology

Abstract

Anti-cancer Effect in Volatile Components of Hiba Essential Oil (Thujopsis dolabrata)

Nagata T, Fujino Y, Toume K, Xiao Long L, Yamaguchi T, Okumura T, Komatsu K and Shimada Y

Objective: Although combinations of multiple cancer therapies have reduced the mortality, they often cause severe adverse reactions, and the new strategies with fewer adverse reactions are desired. Our present study demonstrated that an essential oil preparation from hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata) exerts an antitumor effect against gastric cancer cells.
Methods: MKN45 gastric cancer cells were incubated with whole of hiba essential oil (HEO) or volatile components of the HEO, followed by assessment of tumor growth inhibition by MTT assay. Apoptotic change of these cancer cells was also analyzed by TUNEL reaction. Nude mice were used to establish a model of gastric cancer tumor growth and peritoneal disseminated metastasis, in which the volume of tumor and the number of peritoneal disseminations were evaluated after inhalation of volatile components of HEO for 4 weeks. In addition, the antitumor effect of the hinokitiol, one of the anti-tumor ingredients of hiba, was compared.
Results: HEO treatment induced the inhibition of tumor growth and apoptosis in MKN45 gastric cancer cells. Volatile components of the HEO also inhibited the growth and induced the apoptosis in MKN45 cells, and significantly reduced the peritoneal dissemination and metastasis in in vivo mice model. The hinokitiol, an ingredient of HEO, exhibited the weaker tumor growth inhibition effect than the whole of HEO preparation.
Conclusion: Our study indicates that HEO, especially volatile components, have an anti-tumor activity of gastric cancer. We also reveal that not only hinokitiol, but also other components may play a role as antitumor factor.