Inhibitory effect of methanol extract of Euonymus alatus on matrix metalloproteinase-9

Various extracts prepared from stems of Euonymus alatus were tested for cytotoxic activity on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep3B cells using the XTT assay method. Also, the extracts were investigated the inhibitory effects on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity using gelatin zymography. The methanol extract, hexane and ethyl acetate fraction exhibited weak cytotoxic activity (IC50 of >100 mug/ml). However, butanol (IC50 = 65 mug/ml) and chloroform (IC50 = 85 mug/ml) fraction exhibited strongly cytotoxic activity. Gelatin zymography showed that the Hep3B cells secreted matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), probably including MMP-9, which may be involved in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. The butanol fraction showed stronger inhibitory effect of proteolytic activity than other fractions. Also, the butanol fraction was able to decrease the proteolytic activity of MMP-9 in a concentration-dependent manner on zymography. These results suggest that the butanol fraction from E. alatus has highly inhibitory effect on MMP-9 in comparatively low cytotoxicity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.