Antiproliferative activity and phenotypic modification induced by selected Peruvian medicinal plants on human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells

We evaluated in vitro on the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line Hep3B, 51 medicinal plant species from Peru, mainly used against liver or digestive disorders. A 3-step multi-parametric phenotypic assay allowed to select 8 species. They combined an antiproliferative activity on Hep3B cells with the induction of original cell-phenotypes, analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Two major phenotypes were highlighted; they are illustrated below by Schkuhria pinnata crude extract, which gave abnormal prometaphasis figures and by Perezia coerulescens crude extract, which blocked microtubule dynamic during interphase.137