Comparison of components and anti-liver cancer activity in vitro between Huanglian and Yunlian

Abstract

Objective: Coptidis Rhizoma is a famous Chinese medicinal herb for its potential to combat cancer, inflammation, fibrosis, viral and bacterial infections, and oxidation. Coptis chinensis Franch (Huanglian in Chinese HL) and Coptis teeta Wall (Yun Huanglian or Yunlian YHL) are two species of Coptidis Rhizoma commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Huanglian is produced from Sichuan Province, while Yunlian comes from the Yunnan Province. Both provinces are located in China. There are indications that both herbs possess similar characteristics and functions in clinical use. However, there are no signs of prior research to compare the effects of HL and YHL on hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we compared the components and anti-liver cancer effects in vitro between Huanglian and Yunlian. Methods: HPLC was introduced to analyze the active components in Huanglian and Yunlian aqueous extracts. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and High performance liquid chromatography with UV detector were used to identify and compare the main ingredients ratio between Huanglian and Yunlian extracts. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis affected by the two extracts on MHCC97L cell line was observed by using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The inhibition of metastasis and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97L by Huanglian and Yunlian were compared as well. Results: Results of phytochemical analysis showed there were no significant differences between the two herbs' ingredients and ratios. Also, there were no significant differences between Huanglian and Yunlian on cytotoxicity, apoptosis and metastasis in MHCC97L. Conclusion: Yunlian and Huanglian share great similarities in both chemical compostion and bioactivity in vitro. © 2012 To C, et al.