ABSTRACT

Syzygium cumini, known as "Jambu" or "Brahaspati" in Sanskrit, is an important medicinal plant. The anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaves of S. cumini was reported by Jain et al. The cancer chemoprotective ability of S. cumini was further shown by Aqil et al. Radiation therapy is one of the chief modalities in cancer therapy. An ideal radioprotectant should be one that protects the normal tissues without compromising the anticancer potential of radiation. Fruit extracts of S. cumini rich in anthocynanis were tested for their antiproliferative potential in a series of breast cancer cells. The authors observed that the ethanolic fraction possesses the highest activity against cells derived from acute myeloid leukemia patient samples. A methanolic extract of partially ripened fruit skin was also tested for its activity in comparison with crude extract in two cervical cancer cell lines, HeLa and SiHa, in vitro.