Kat is being used extensively in many countries as a central nervous system stimulant. The effect of three doses of crude kat extract on chromosomal division and abnormalities in bone marrow, as well as on DNA, RNA, and total protein content in brain and liver was studied in laboratory rats in order to test the possible mutagenicity of the drug. Kat was given as a single subcutaneous injection at 0.05 (usage dose), 0.52 (intermediate dose), and 1.00 (sublethal dose) g/kg body weight. Animals were sacrificed at 6, 24, and 48 hr after treatment. Also, some animals were exposed subacutely for 5 consecutive days with sacrifice occurring 6 hr after the last injection. The mitotic index was reduced by all treatments, with the greatest effect occurring in the subacute treatment. Chromosomal abnormalities were induced by kat at all three doses, administered acutely or subacutely. The significant chromosomal aberrations were in the form of gaps, breaks, centromeric attenuations, and centric fusions. The concentration of DNA, RNA, and total protein in liver and brain decreased at all doses, with the greatest decrease occurring after subacute treatment. These findings suggest that kat has a profound effect on cell proliferation, on chromosomal abnormalities, and on DNA, RNA, and total protein synthesis.

Syzygium Aromaticum (clove) and Nigella sativa (black seed), traditional medicinal herbs, display broad anticancer activity. The observations supported these oils' anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activities by MTT assay. The cold-pressed extracted oil was evaluated against cervical (HeLa), pancreatic (Panc), and colon (HCT) carcinoma cells compared to doxorubicin. Clove oil had the lowest IC 50 values against HeLa, HCT, and Panc cells, which were 0.25, 0.38, and 5.26 µg/ml, respectively. Black seed oil was next, with IC 50 values of about 5.51, 4.24, and 22.7 µg/ml, respectively. These oils were extra potent than the reference drug, doxorubicin, which had IC 50 values of about 101, 188, and 244 µg/ml. According to a flow cytometry study, clove oil causes cell death in HeLa cells more than the medication doxorubicin. Clove oil has proven to possess strong inhibitory activity of the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 than doxorubicin. The Diphenylamine method demonstrated that clove oil causes DNA damage and increases DNA fragmentation rate more than doxorubicin. GC/MS results showed that the clove and black seed contain many valuable anticancer compounds, such as p-cymene, a-Longipinene, Idebenone, and caryophyllene for black seed and eugenol for clove. Clove oil is therefore regarded as an excellent natural anticancer agent superior to chemotherapy medications with long-term side effects.