ABSTRACT
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Oral cancer has been reported to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in India among males. Although there are major clinical treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, they are minimally effective and cause side effects. Traditional herbs have become an effective and preferred treatment as they are comparatively less toxic. Paris polyphylla has been recently identified as one of the effective herbals for an alternative treatment to oral cancer. The rhizomes of the herb contain chemical constituents such as steroidal saponins and fatty acid esters that are effective against various types of cancer. These phytochemical constituents were found to inhibit the proliferation of oral cancer cells. When SAS oral cells were exposed to various concentrations of P. polyphylla crude extracts and fractions, the percentage of the apoptotic oral cells was significantly decreased when analyzed by flow cytometer using Annexin V/FITC-PI double staining.
