ABSTRACT

Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death both in the Philippines and worldwide. Chemotherapeutic agents have long been used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells; however, many of these agents face significant challenges such as drug resistance and toxicity to normal cells. As a result, there has been a growing interest in the development of new classes of anti-cancer agents that exhibit more efficient and selective toxicity. In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) has approved ten herbal medicines for use as home remedies for various diseases. However, of these, Quisqualis indica, Carmona retusa, and Peperomia pellucida have not been extensively studied for their potential anti-cancer properties. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the potential of these plants in the fight against cancer. This study utilized four biological assays to evaluate the anti-cancer properties of Quisqualis indica, Carmona retusa, and Peperomia pellucida. The results demonstrated that the methanolic extracts from these plants were effective in inhibiting angiogenesis, as shown in both the CAM and HUVEC assays. Additionally, the extracts were found to significantly reduce the expression levels of VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and CD-34, while increasing the expression of TGF-β1. Furthermore, the plant extracts exhibited cytotoxic effects on human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells, with a decrease in cell viability attributed to apoptosis, characterized by extensive DNA fragmentation. These findings suggest that Quisqualis indica, Carmona retusa, and Peperomia pellucida hold promise as sources of natural anti-cancer agents. Future studies should aim to identify the specific bioactive compounds present in these plants and further explore their effects on different cancer cell lines. Keywords: Apoptosis, cancer cells, gene expression, herbal plants, rt-pcr https://doi.org/10.57180/ycks8410