**3.1. Antitumor activities**

The seeds extract of *Cerbera manghas* were found possessing obvious cytotoxic activity against some human cancer cell lines by MTT methods. Feng and coworkers obtained two cardiac glycosides named GHSC-73 and GHSC-74. Further study suggested GHSC-73 and GHSC-74 can significantly inhibited growth and proliferation of HepG2 cells in dose-dependent manner. GHSC-73 inhibited the growth and proliferation of HepG2 cells through blocking S phase and inducing apoptosis, while GHSC-74 through blocking S and G2 phases and inducing apopto‐ sis.Wang and coworkers tested 24 compounds isolated from *Pluchea indic* and found that valenc-l (10)-ene-8α, 13-diol showed inhibiting activity against Bel-7402 and A2780 cells. Lanceolatin B purified from *Pongamia pinnata* can prevent the development of cancer [20]. The cytotoxic activities of mansonone D, mansonone H, thespesone, and thespone were tested against MCF-7 cells by Johnson using the MTT methods. The results indicated that they all showed certain cytotoxic activities [21]. Ethnomedical survey has shown that the seeds of *Barringtonia racemosa* are traditionally used in certain remote villages of Kerala (India) to treat cancer like diseases. Thomas [22] tested the seed extracts for their anti-tumor activity and toxicity. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) daily administration of 50% methanol extract of this seed to mice challenged with 1 million Dalton's Lymphoma Ascitic (DLA) cells resulted in remarkable dose dependent anti-DLA activity in mice. The optimum dose was found to be 6 mg/kg. This dose protected all the animals challenged with the tumor cells. The efficacy of the drug was found to be better than that of a standard drug, vincristine in this tumor model. However, the oral administration showed only marginal activity compared to i.p. administration. The extract was found to be devoid of conspicuous acute and short-term toxicity to mice, when adminis‐ tered daily, (i.p.) for 14 days up to a dose of 12 mg/kg (which was double the concentration of optimum therapeutic dose). The treated mice showed conspicuous toxic symptoms only at 24 mg/kg. The LD (50) to male mice for a single i.p. dose was found to be 36 mg/kg. Consequently, they found that the seed extract is an attractive material for further studies leading to drug development. Anbu and coworkers [23] evaluated anti-tumor activity of the roots of *Hibiscus tiliaceus* against Dalton's Ascitic Lymphoma (DAL) in Swiss albino mice. A significant enhancement of mean survival time (MST) of *H. tiliaceus* treated tumor bearing mice was found with respect to control group. *H. tiliaceus* treatment was found to enhance peritoneal cell counts. When these *H. tiliaceus* treated animals under-went intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation with DAL cells, tumor cell growth was found to be inhibited. The results indicated that, *H. tiliaceus* treated group were able to reverse the haematological parameters, protein and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) consequent to tumor inoculation with in fourteen days after the trans‐ plantation.

**3.4. Others**

**4. Conclusions**

**Acknowledgements**

**Author details**

Xiaopo Zhang

**References**

Chakraborty reported the bark, seeds of *Barringtonia acutangula* could be used as a fish poison. Pongamia pinnata was evaluated by Elanchezhiya [31] for antiviral properties against herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) and type-2 (HSV-2) by *in vitro* studies in Vero cells. A crude aqueous seed extract of *P. pinnata* completely inhibited the growth of HSV-1 and HSV-2 at

Natural Products from Semi–Mangrove Plants in China

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55933

207

Among the 12 mangroves, *Pongamia pinnata*, *Cerbera manghas*, *Barringtonia racemosa* have been carried on deep researches concerning their chemical constituents, biological activities. Some compounds isolated from the semi-mangroves were proved to have obvious activities as the two cardenolides of GHSC-73 and GHSC-74. However, as proposed by Shao Changlun "Some semi-mangrove plants have not yet been analyzed and interpreted on their chemical constit‐ uents and pharmacological effects", the further researches of the semi-mangrove plants will

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the financial support of initial funding by Hainan Medical University (Project No. HY2010-012). We also thank Dr. Yinfeng Tan for

[1] Lin, P, & Fu, Q. Environmental ecology and economic utilization of mangroves. Bei‐

concentrations of 1 and 20 mg/ml (w/v), respectively.

make an important contribution to for the finding of new drugs.

helpful discussions regarding the pharmacological analysis.

jing: higher education press, (1995).

School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, PRC

[2] Lin, P. Zoology of China's mangroves. Beijing: Science press, (1997).

[3] Wang, W. Q, & Wang, M. Mangroves in China. Beijing: Science press, (2007).
