Antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of salvigenin on tumor bearing mice.

Development of agents that specifically kill cancer cells and simultaneously elicit antitumor immune response is a step forward in cancer therapy. Immunostimulation can result in eliminating of the cancer cells; immunotherapy is a promising approach in balancing the immune response by Treg. In the present study, we investigated whether the administration of salvigenin contributes to the augmentation of antitumor immunity and the regression of tumor tissues in a mouse model of breast cancer. Salvigenin was purified from Tanacetum canescens, and its effect on the tumor volume was investigated. The splenocyte proliferation, shifting of cytokine profile, and the presence of naturally-occurring CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells were assessed to describe the anti-tumor immune response. Our results demonstrated that a significant decrease in the level of IL-4 and increase in the IFN-γ in the animals treated with salvigenin and significant decreased in the level of splenic CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells. The cytotoxic and immunomodulatory properties of salvigenin were acknowledged in vivo.