Effect of Puta on in vitro anticancer activity of Shataputi AbhrakBhasma on lung, leukemia and prostate cancer cell lines

BACKGROUND: Rasashastra needs to be upgraded using the technological advances, with regards to drug processing, development and therapeutics. The potential of Rasaaushadhis need to be explored by subjecting them against newer life threatening diseases like cancer where contemporary medicine has limitations. Abhrak Bhasma, one of the drugs of Rasashastra, has some peculiar attributes. According to classical Rasashastra texts, Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma is regarded as a Rasayan, whose efficacy is in direct proportion to the number of Putas. Thus increasing number of Putas not only has a significant effect on the physical, analytical aspects but also the therapeutic effect of the Abhrak Bhasma. OBJECTIVES: To screen in vitro anticancer activity of Abhrak Bhasma at various stages of Putas (20, 50, 100). To evaluate and thus validate the principle from classical Rasashastra texts, which explains direct relation of number of Putas with therapeutic efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma, at various stages of its preparation was subjected to in vitro anticancer activity on three different cancer cell lines (LungHOP62, LeukemiaU937, ProstateDU145) at Tata Memorial Centre- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research Education in Cancer, Navi Mumbai. SRB assay was followed to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity. RESULTS: It was found that Abhrak Bhasma shows concentration dependent positive in vitro anticancer activity on all three cell lines with highly significant activity on prostate cancer cell lines. Anticancer activity of Abhrak Bhasma is in the order 100 Puti > 50 Puti > 20 Puti. Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma had maximum activity on prostate cancer cell lines almost equivalent to positive control drug adriamycin. CONCLUSION: The in vitro anticancer activity of Shataputi Abhrak Bhasma increases with increasing number of Putas, thus revalidating the direct relation between number of Putas and efficacy of the drug.