Potential Anticancer Activities of the Thai Traditional Medicinal Recipe Santakatpuakaln Against Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines

Traditional Thai herbal medicine has been used for centuries to treat various diseases, including cancer. One notable formulation, Santakatpuakaln (STK), has been employed to manage cancers, particularly of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as liver and colorectal cancers (CRCs). Despite its historical use, scientific validation of its efficacy and safety remains vastly limited. In this study, we prepared an ethanol extract of STK and evaluated its anticancer properties in vitro. STK demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against CRC cell lines (HCT15, NCI-H508, HT29, and HCT116) and the liver cancer cell line HepG2 while sparing noncancerous colonic epithelial cells (FHC), suggesting a potential therapeutic window. The cytotoxic activity of STK was accompanied by apoptosis. Additionally, STK inhibited tumor spheroid growth and suppressed HCT116 cell migration in transwell assays, indicating both cytotoxic and antimigratory effects. These findings support the traditional use of STK in cancer management and warrant further investigation into its active compounds, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential.