Efficacy of oregonin investigated by non-invasive evaluation in a B16 mouse melanoma model.

Oregonin has been reported to act as a mediator of antibiosis, a liver-protective agent, an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory agent, and to prevent cancer outbreaks. B16 melanoma cells were separated with trypsin-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, resuspended in 50 μl of phosphate-buffered saline and transplanted into the backs of 6- to 8-week-old male Balb/c nude mice through subcutaneous injection. Treatment doses of oregonin were administered three times weekly, for 30 days from the 11th day after transplantation of the melanoma cells, in each group. The study consisted of a control group, a dacarbazine group, an oregonin group and a dacarbazine + oregonin group. Measurements were taken before treatment and on the 5th, 7th, 10th and 15th days after treatment for each group. Based on survival rates after transplantation, the control group showed less than 50% survival after 20 days, while the treatment groups showed at least 50% survival up to the 41st day.