Effect of Dillenia pentagyna Extract on Sialic Acid Content and Agglutinability of Normal and Tumor Cells with Concanavalin A and Wheat Germ Agglutinin

In the present study, the antitumor potential of methanol extract of D. pentagyna and its effect on the level of sialic acid and agglutinability of normal and transformed cells with concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin were reported in order to find the possible role of sialic acid in the antitumor activity of D. pentagyna. Methanol extract of stem bark of D. pentagyna showed maximum survivability of Dalton`s lymphoma-bearing mice at a dose of 20 mg kg-1 (%ILS ~ 70%). The present finding shows a significant D. pentagyna extract-mediated decrease in sialic acid content of normal and transformed cells and increase in ascites supernatant. The plant extract treatment decreases DL cells agglutinability with concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin in vitro and in vivo. It also decreases normal lymphocytes agglutinability with wheat germ agglutinin while increased agglutinability was observed with concanavalin A. D. pentagyna-mediated release of sialic acid from the surface of DL cells and decrease in the degree of cell agglutination with conA and wheat germ agglutinin suggested the occurrence of topographical changes on the cell surface and rendering them more immunogenic or accessible to the cells of immune system in the hosts.