Abstract: To investigate the anti-proliferative effect of methanol extracts,ethyl acetate fraction,petroleum ether fraction extracted from Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) Spring, Selaginella rosii (Bak.) Warb, Selaginella sinensis (Desv.) Spring on human monocytic leukemia U937 cell line. U937 cells were cultivated by conventional way. MTT assay was used to measure the proliferation of U937 cells after treatment with different concentrations of methanol extract and different polar fractions from the Selaginella plant. S.tamariscina and S.sinensis caused the tumor cells death in a dose-dependent manner and time-dependent manner, S.rosii caused the tumor cells death in a dose-dependent manner.The methanol extracts,ethyl acetate fraction,petroleum ether fraction extracted from S.tamariscina, S.rosii, S.Sinensis can significantly inhibit the proliferation of U937 cells at IC₅₀ of 102.54,87.95,91.63 μg/mL;118.69 μg/mL,135.8 μg/mL,95.11 μg/mL;103.92 μg/mL,174.75 μg/mL,102.64 μg/mL,respectively.In conclusion,the three Selaginella plants can significantly inhibit the proliferation of U937 cells.

Key words: Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) Spring, Selaginella rosii (Bak.) Warb, Selaginella sinensis (Desv.) Spring, U937, cell proliferation