[Selective effect of nispex in inhibiting human cancer cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the in vitro anticancer effect of Nispex, the total flavonoids extract from Scurrula parasitic L. METHODS: The cell proliferation inhibitory effects of Nispex on various kinds of tumor cells or non-tumor cells in human and rats were detected with MTT assay and colony forming assay respectively, the cell apoptosis induced by Nispex was detected by AO/EB fluorescence staining, TUNEL assay and AnnexinV-FITC/PI flow cytometry. RESULTS: Nispex could significantly inhibit human cancer cell proliferation and induce human cancer cell apoptosis, especially to the proliferative cell group, but its inhibition on human non-tumor cell was insignificant, and showed no effect on murine cancer cells in the tested scope. CONCLUSION: Nispex is a nature plant extract which shows good selectivity for killing human cancer cell.