Anti-angiogenic effect of the seed extract of Benincasa hispida Cogniaux.

Benincasa hispida in Korea was used mainly diabetes and diuresis diseases. This study was carried out to evaluate anti-angiogenic effect of the seed extract of Benincasa hispida Cogniaux. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent angiogenic factor found in various tumors. In this study, we found that the seed extract of Benincasa hispida Cogniaux decreased bFGF-induced endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, Benincasa hispida seed extract showed no cytotoxicity on HUVECs and normal fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the seed extract of Benincasa hispida showed a potent inhibitory effect on bFGF-induced angiogenesis in vivo. These results suggest that the seed extract of Benincasa hispida inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cells induced by bFGF, which may explain its anti-angiogenic properties.