A fraction rich in phenyl propanoids from L. divaricata aqueous extract is capable of inducing apoptosis, in relation to H2O2 modulation, on a murine lymphoma cell line

Abstract

Leukemia and lymphoma are a group of heterogeneous neoplastic disorder of white blood cells charac-terized by the uncontrolled proliferation and block in differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Nowadays,there is an interest in therapy with drugs of plant origin because conventional medicine can be inefficientor also results in side effects. Larrea divaricata Cav., is a plant widely distributed in Argentina that possessantiproliferative and antioxidant activities reported. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) was previouslyfound in the plant and related to both antiproliferative and pro-proliferative actions on a lymphoma cellline. In order to demonstrate whether the presence of NDGA may be beneficial or not in the antiprolifera-tive action of the aqueous extract, the extract of L. divaricata was submitted to a fractionation and fractionswith and without NDGA were studied in a murine lymphocitic leukemia cell line (EL-4) proliferation. Theeffect of the most active fraction was studied in relation to H2O2modulation and the synergistic actionbetween compounds, found in fractions, was analyzed. The presence of NDGA was not a detonator forpro-proliferative action and its presence could be beneficial in low concentrations allowing a synergistantiproliferative action with other compounds.