Piyawan BunpoKeiko KataokaHideki ArimochiHaruyuki NakayamaTomomi KuwaharaYoshinari OhnishiUsanee Vinitketkumnuen2011-02-162011-02-162009-12-222009-12-22Chiang Mai Medical Journal; Vol.44 No.1 March 2005 (pages 1-47); 21 - 28http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/130644Centella asiatica  is traditionally a medicinal plant frequently employed in the practice of Thai folk medicine. This study examined the anti-tumor activity of the crude water extract of C. asiatica using human colon adenocarcinoma-derived Caco-2 cells. C. asiatica extract reduced the proliferation rate of Caco-2 cells significantly in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The mechanism of cancer cell growth inhibition was shown to occur via cell cycle arrest. The extract induced S and G2-M arrest in Caco-2 cells accompanied apoptosis induction. The extract also increased the accumulation of cyclin B1 protein in the cells. These findings indicate that C. asiatica extract inhibited cell proliferation of Caco-2 cells through modification of the cell cycle events and this cell cycle arrest is associated, at least in part, with increased accumulation of cyclin B1 protein. Chiang Mai Med Bull 2005;44(1):21-28.en-USChiang Mai Medical JournalOriginal Articles