CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF SELECTED PLANTS USED AS ANTITUMORALS IN MEXICANTRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Crude extracts from nine plants widely used in Mexican traditional med icine for the treatment of cancer have been subjected to a bioscreenin g study to detect cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. Three different extracts (petroleum ether, ethylacetate, and methanol) from each plant species, were tested towards KB, HCT-15 COLAD-CAR and UISO- SQC-1 cell cultures. The results showed that three plants Colubrina ma crocarpa (Cav.) Don (Rhamnaceae), Acacia pennatula (Schltdl. and Cham. ) Benth (Leguminosae) and Hemiangium excelsum (HBK.) Smith (Hippocrate aceae), exhibited important cytotoxic activity showing a certain degre e of selectivity against the tested cells in culture. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science Ireland Ltd.