The herbal remedy extended by Semecarpus anacardium nut extract against Aflatoxin B-1 mediated hepatocellular carcinoma was established by studies on carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes. Since some definite correlation exists between tumour progression and the activities of glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes, assessment of alterations in their activity can be used as successful markers of diagnosis and prognosis. The present work compares the activities of glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes in hepatocellular carcinoma bearing rats with drug-treated animals. An overall increase in glycolytic enzmes namely hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase, and aldolase with a subsequent reduction in gluconeogenic enzymes, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase was observed in plasma and liver homogenates of hepatocellular carcinoma bearing rats. The administration of Semecarpus anacardium nut extract caused a significant decrease in the activity of glycolytic enzymes and an increase in gluconeogenic enzymes' activities to near normal values in drug-treated animals. (C) 1997 The Italian Pharmacological Society.
