Method of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells using an extract of Melothria indica Lou and a method for purification thereof

Abstract

The invention includes a method of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells by administering an extract of Melothria indica Lou to the cancer cells. The invention also includes a method of using an extract of Melothria indica Lou to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by administering the extract to the cancer cells. The cancer cells can be leukemia cells and prostate cancer cells. Further included in the invention is a method for purifying the Melothria indica Lou into an extract used for inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells by administering an extract of  Melothria indica  Lou to the cancer cells.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cancer cells are leukemia cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cancer cells are prostate cancer cells.  
     
     
         4 . A method of using an extract of  Melothria indica  Lou to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by administering the extract to the cancer cells.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the cancer cells are leukemia cells.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the cancer cells are prostate cancer cells.  
     
     
         7 . A method for purifying  Melothria indica  Lou comprising the steps of: 
 extracting the  Melothria indica  Lou with a solvent to form an extract;    concentrating the extract;    applying the extract to a SCD-100 reverse phase chromatography column equilibrated with phosphate buffer saline;    developing the SCD-100 column using an isocratic elution of phosphate buffer saline for about forty (40) minutes with a flow rate of about 0.4 ml/min;    collecting at least fraction eleven (11) from the column;    applying fraction eleven to a RPP-100 reverse-phase chromatography column equilibrated with 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in water;    developing the column by a linear gradient using solvent A and solvent B, solvent A being 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in water and solvent B being water/CH 3 CN/0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in a ratio of 49.5:49.5:1;    generating a gradient using 100% solvent A and 0% solvent B at time zero, then increasing solvent B from 0% to 100% after 20 ml elution volume;    collecting at least fraction two from the column;    applying fraction two to a AX-100 anion exchange chromatography column equilibrated with solvent C, solvent C being 10% phosphate buffer saline in water;    eluting the column with a solvent gradient including solvent C and solvent D, solvent D being 100% phosphate buffer saline, the solvent gradient is created starting with 100% solvent C and 0% of solvent D at time zero, then increasing solvent D from 0% to 100% after 20 ml elution volume;    collecting at least fraction 12 from the column;    applying fraction twelve to a silica gel column equilibrated with a solvent E, solvent C being CH3CN:ethanol:water at a ratio of 84.5:15:0.5;    isocratically eluting the column with solvent C;    collecting at least fractions eight and nine.