Evaluation of Bufadienolides as the Main Antitumor Components in Cinobufacin Injection for Liver and Gastric Cancer Therapy

Background Cinobufacin injection, also known as huachansu, is a preparation form of Cinobufacini made from Cinobufacin extract liquid. Despite that Cinobufacin injection is shown to shrink liver and gastric tumors, improving patient survival and life quality, the effective components in Cinobufacin remain elusive. In this study, we aim to screen antitumor components from Cinobufacin injection to elucidate the most effective antitumor components for treatment of liver and gastric cancers. Materials and Methods High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and LC-MS/MS analysis were used to separate and determine the components in Cinobufacin injection. Inhibition rates of various components in Cinobufacin injection on liver and gastric cancer cells were determined with MTT assay; Hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancer models were used to assess the antitumor effect of the compounds in vivo. Results The major constituents in Cinobufacin injection include peptides, nucleic acids, tryptamines and bufotalins. MTT assay revealed that bufadienolides had the best antitumor activity, with peptides being the second most effective components. Bufadienolides showed significant inhibition rates on gastric and hepatocellular tumour growth in vivo. Conclusion Bufadienolides are the most effective components in Cinobufacini injection for the treatment of liver and gastric cancers. This discovery can greatly facilitate further research in improving the therapeutic effects of Cinobufacin injection, meanwhile reducing its adverse reaction.