Dendrobium officinalis inhibited tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common and lethal tumor in the world, and the number of patients who die from lung cancer is growing steadily. Because of conventional chemotherapy drugs’ poor tumor selectivity, side effects are significant. Conducting relevant studies and developing highly efficient and low toxicity anti-cancer drugs are urgently needed. Dendrobium officinale, which belongs to Orchidaceae aerophyte, has the characteristic of slow growth and lower natural propagation rate. In China, Dendrobium officinale has a very high value and is often referred to as the “gold of herbs”. According to reports in the literature, the active ingredients of Dendrobium officinale have anticancer activity and inhibit neovascularization’s potential. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Dendrobium officinale in A549 lung cancer cells and its potential involvement in slowing tumor growth. METHODS: We cultured A549 cells and established a cancer xenograft model in nude mice. Infused stomach with Dendrobium officinale was applied to the nude mouse model. Tumor volume and body weight were recorded. RESULTS: The results show that, compared with the negative control group, the gross tumor volume (GTV) of treatment groups decreased (all P<0.05), while the effect of the high concentration of the Dendrobium officinale was more significant than that found in the medium and low group. We believe that Dendrobium officinale exhibits a promising antitumor effect in the nude mouse tumor model. The best treatment concentrations for the nude mouse tumor model were achieved when treatment with the drug began about 7–15 days, and was more significant in high concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Dendrobium officinale has potent effects of inhibiting tumor on the nude mouse tumor model.