What is Acanthopanax trifoliatus Extract

Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr (AT) is often used as a herbal medicine and edible plant in some parts of China and other Asian countries. AT is believed to have anti-cancer effects, but potential mechanisms remain unknown. To evaluate the anti-cancer properties of AT, we have exposed the AT prostate cancer cells extracted and the proliferation of evaluated cells and signaling pathways. An ethanol extract of AT was suspended in water, followed by sequential extraction with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. PC-3 cells were treated with different concentrations of each extract, and cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays. The ethyl acetate of the ethanol extract had a stronger inhibitory effect on growth and a stronger stimulatory effect on apoptosis than the other extracts. Mechanistic studies have shown that ethyl acetate, extracts the transcriptional activity of NF-kB suppressed, caspase-3 levels increased and phospho-ERK1 / 2 and phospho-Akt levels lowered. This is the first report on the anti-cancer activity of TAs in cultured human prostate cancer cells. The results suggest that AT can provide herbal medicines for the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer.