Suppression of cellular adhesion and the anticancer activity of Aralia elata extract

Abstract

Aralia elata (Miq) Seem (A. elata) is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, and China. In spring, the young shoots of A. elata are used in salads, soups, and dumplings in East Asia. The bark of the stem and cortex of A. elata has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of neurasthenia, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, and gastrospasm (Li et al., 2015; Luo et al., 2015). However, until now, studies have been conducted on anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer studies of a single substance isolated from A. elata, not A. elata extract. Triterpenoid saponins isolated from A. elata reportedly inhibit acute or chronic inflammation and improve liver function (Lee et al., 2009; Luo et al., 2015). In addition, triterpene saponins and triterpene glycosides have been isolated from A. elata and have been shown to exert cytotoxicity against hepatoma, ovarian carcinoma, lung cancer (A549), promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), and human prostate cancer (DU-145) cells (Kuang et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2013). The aralin, isolated from A. elata, has been reported to exert anticancer activity against cervical, bladder, pancreatic, stomach, liver, and ovarian cancer cells (Tomatsu et al., 2003). However, an extract of A. elata has been used as a therapeutic agent for various diseases, and the studies on the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of A. elata extract are insufficient.