An investigation of the ability of elemene to pass through the blood‐brain barrier and its effect on brain carcinomas

Objectives Elemene is a chemical extracted from plants. It has demonstrated anti‐tumour capability. Although widely studied, there has been little reported regarding its tissue distribution. Our aim was to rectify this. Methods The tissue distribution of elemene was studied after intragastric or intravenous administration in rats. The effectiveness of elemene in treating brain tumours was studied using the G‐422 tumour cell model in mice. Key findings Elemene had a higher concentration in the lungs, spleen and livers than other tissues of normal rats after intragastric and intravenous administration, while the concentration in the gastrointestinal tract was greater after intragastric administration. Elemene molecules were also detected in the rats' brain tissue. Elemene had a therapeutic effect on mice inoculated with G‐422 cells both intracranially and subcutaneously. The best life‐extending rate and the best tumour‐inhibiting rate of elemene were 64.43% and 34.46%, respectively, when 80 mg/kg elemene was used for treatment. Conclusions The results from the tissue distribution study showed that elemene can pass through the blood‐brain barrier. The therapeutic experiments showed that elemene is effective in treating cerebral malignancy.