Copyright@ Karina Furlani Zoccal | Biomed J Sci & Tech Res | BJSTR. MS.ID.004154. 18856 Research Article ISSN: 2574 -1241 Antitumoral Effect of Lobelia Inflata in An Experimental Mouse Model of Melanoma Nathalia Prata Garcia 1 , Layene Caetano Ireno 1 , Marcello Pardi de Castro 1 , Mirella dos Santos Reis 2 , Luiz Gustavo Gardinassi 3 , Lúcia Helena Faccioli 2 , Cristiane Tefé-Silva 1 and Karina Furlani Zoccal 1 * 1 Barão de Mauá University Center (CBM), Brazil 2 Department of Clinical Toxicological and Bromatological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil 3 Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil *Corresponding author: Karina Furlani Zoccal, Barão de Mauá University Center (CBM), Brazil DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2020.25.004154 Received: January 22, 2020 Published: January 30, 2020 Citation: Nathalia Prata Garcia, Layene Caetano Ireno, Marcello Pardi de Castro, Mirella dos Santos Reis, Luiz Gustavo Gardinassi, Lúcia Helena Faccioli, Cristiane Tefé-Silva, Karina Furlani Zoccal. Antitumoral Effect of Lobelia Inflata in An Experimental Mouse Model of Melanoma. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 25(1)-2020. BJSTR. MS.ID.004154. Abbreviations: LCL: Lobelia Chinensis Lour; INOS: Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase; COX-2: Cyclooxygenase-2; TNF- α : Tumor Necrosis Factor-α; IL: Interleukin; SEM: Standard Error of Mean; MMPs: Matrix Metallo Proteinases; BFGF: Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor; VEGF: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; ANOVA: Analysis of Variance ARTICLE INFO Abstract Background Melanoma is a type of skin cancer derived from melanocytes with high degree of malig- nancy and absence of effective therapy, a fact that motivates the search for new treatments. Medicinal plants provide an interesting source of new compounds with anti-inflammatory and antitumoral properties. The Lobelia inflata plant contains a variety of alkaloids, which have been used as respiratory stimulant, antispasmodic, expectorant, antiemetic. Due these facts, we hypothesized that L. inflata may contain compounds with anti-inflammatory and antitumoral activity. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we used an experimental mouse model of melanoma. To evaluate the effects of the L. inflata plant extract, mice were subcutaneously inoculated with B16F10 melanoma cells, and subsequently treated with the extract via oral route every 5 days for one month after tumor inoculation. Tumor growth was monitored every 5 days and after 30 days, the animals were euthanized. Blood and peritoneal fluid were collected for total and dif- ferential leukocyte counting, as for quantification of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) and total protein. Results: Administration of the extract reduced inflammatory cell recruitment, edema, and the production of inflammatory cytokines in the peritoneal cavity. Importantly, the plant extract had a significant impact on melanoma growth. Conclusion: These results suggest that L. inflata contains compounds with significant antitumoral activity against melanoma. Highlights a) Lihe is not toxic under physiological conditions. b) Lihe inhibits inflammation during experimental mouse model of melanoma. c) Lihe reduces tumor size during experimental mouse model of melanoma. Keywords: Inflammation; Lobelia Inflata; Melanoma; Phytomedicine; Antitumoral ARTICLE INFO Abstract Introduction Inflammation is a process involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several diseases [1]. It is a physiological response that protects against pathogenic microorganisms but may result in tissue damage. The inflammatory reaction aims to restore the homeostasis affected by sterile injury or infection [1]. Recent data have expanded the concept of inflammation into a critical component in tumor progression. Several types of cancer originate in sites of chronic infection and inflammation, where inflammatory cells orchestrate the establishment of tumor microenvironment, and thus become indispensable components of the neoplastic process. Currently, a causal relationship between inflammation, innate immunity and cancer is widely accepted, and many of the molecular and cellular mechanisms accounting for this relationship are not well understood [2,3]. In a tumor microenvironment,