Combinational effects of non n-Hexane Fractions of ant-plant (Myrmecodia tuberosa Jack) hypocotyl with doxorubicin against lymphocyte and cancer cells.

Doxorubicin is widely used as a chemotherapeutic drug despite having many side effects. It may cause the dysfunction of macrophage, decreasing proliferation of lymphocytes, decreasing CD4+/CD8+ ratio and inducing hepatotoxicity. Doxorubicin inhibits the growth of Vero, HeLa, and T47D cell lines, and also induces a resistance of MCF-7 cells. Previous studies showed that ethanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of ant-plant (Myrmecodia tuberose Jack) hipocotyl could increase macrophage phagocytosis activity and lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. Therefore, antplant is a potential immune stimulator. Combinational treatment of non n-hexane fraction (NHF) of ant-plant with doxorubicin did not affect the doxorubicin's potency. Nevertheless, increased lymphocyte viability induced by doxorubicin in varied dosages of NHF that lethal to HeLa, MCF-7 and T47D cells. Moreover, on Vero cells, doxorubicin became less toxic when induced together with NHF. Thus, NHF of ant-plant is potential to be proposed as doxorubicin co-chemotherapeutic agent against cancer cells.