Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic effect of joint treatment of three Cirsii Japonici Herba components on human gastric carcinoma MKN45 cells. Method :MTT assay of rat lymphocyte and MKN45 cells proliferation in vitro were used to determine the effective components of Cirsii Japonici Herba. Orthogonal test were used to determine the optimum proportion of three components of Cirsii Japonici Herba on human gastric carcinoma MKN45 cells. Result : The combined treatment of Cirsii Japonici Herba polysaccharides and saponins (2#+5#) significantly improved the lymphocyte proliferation of the cells. The cytotoxic activity of the combined treatment of Cirsii Japonici Herba oil

polysaccharides and saponins (1 ∶1 ∶1) to MKN45 cells (IC50 13.3 μg ·mL-1) was obviously stronger than that of the combination of any two components or Cirsii Japonici Herba oil used alone (IC50 35 μg ·mL-1). The order of cytotoxic activity of three components of Cirsii Japonici Herba is oil>polysaccharides> saponins. The optimum proportion of three Cirsii Japonici Herba components on MKN45 cells was oil ∶polysaccharides ∶saponins 1 ∶2 ∶1. Conclusion : The combined treatment of three Cirsii Japonici Herba components had the strongest killing activity to human gastric carcinoma MKN45 cells. Except the effects of Fuzheng and Quxie come from the combined treatment

cytotoxicity and irritation of the Cirsii Japonici Herba oil were also decreased by the combined treatment.