IN-VITRO ASSAY OF ANTI-PROLIFERATIVE POTENTIAL OF AMARANTHUS CRUENTUS AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES

Beneath the complexity and idiopathy of all cancers, lie a limited number of 'mission-critical' events that propel the tumor cells and their progeny into uncontrolled expansion and invasion. The goal of most current cancer therapies is to reduce the number of tumor cells and to prevent their further accumulation. To better accomplish this goal, a complex microenvironment must be provided which may inhibit the underlying mechanistic pathways of cell proliferation. The present study based on ethno-medical data approach, a first of its kind to evaluate an Indian plant used as a traditional herb, to assess its cytotoxic and antiproliferative property on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Also a parallel assessment with laboratory produced crude L-asparginase (an anti-proliferative agent) of bacterial origin indicated that Amaranthus cruentus aqueous extract can be used as an inexpensive, biocompatible alternate to other commercially available anti-proliferative therapeutics.