ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECT OF Prunus spinosa ETHANOLIC EXTRACT IN VIVO

Prunus spinosa, of the Rosaceae family, also known as blackthorn, is a small tree containing high levels of glycozides and flavonosides. The Prunus spinosa extracts are used in fitotherapy mainly for it’s imunostimulatory effects. The purpose of this study was to test the antiproliferative effect of Prunus spinosa ethanolic extract on two groups of Swiss line mice, each group containing 5 animals. On day 0 all the mice received intraperitoneal the Ehrich ascitis carcinoma (1x10 6 ascitic cells/animal). On days 1 and 7 the mice from the experimental group received 0,5 ml of ethanolic extract each. On day 14 the animals ware sacrificed in order to collect the ascitic liquid and draw blood for the hematological exam. The experimental group had a low quantity of ascitic liquid and a low concentration of viable and nonviable cells in comparison with the control group (EAC). The hematological profile revealed a neutrophil leukocytosis and a trombocytosis in comparison with the control group. The Prunus spinosa ethanolic extract proved to have an antiproliferative effect by reducing the ascitic liquid and the concentration of tumor cells, and an imunostimulatory effect shown by the neutrophil leukocytosis.