Effects of Kimchi Extracts on the Growth of Sarcoma-180 Cells and Phagocytic Activity of Mice

Abstract

Effects of kimchi extracts on the immune response related to its antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo were investigated. The extracts of kimchi fermented for 0(fresh) and 3 weeks at showed a direct cytotoxic effect on sarcoma-180 cells, tumor cells in vitro. Methanol extract(4mg/ml), MSF(methanol soluble fraction : 3mg/ml) and hexane extract(fresh : 2.0mg/ml, 3 weeks : 0.3mg/ml) of the kimchi(3 weeks, ) markedly decreased the total numbers of sarcoma-180 cells, but not their viability. The phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage of mice was significantly augmented by these extracts of the kimchi compared with that of control in vitro and in vivo. These extracts also raised the phagocytic index, indicating that the number of phagocytized microbes per macrophage increased. Thus, kimchi might show a anti-tumor activity by enhancing the phagocytic cell activities.