Evaluation of anticancerogenic effect of flavonoid rich Verbascum gypsicola Vural & Aydoğdu methanolic extract against SH-SY5Y cell line

Abstract

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonal neoplasm affecting the autonomic branch of the nervous system; it is the most commonly detected cancer type in children. NBs affecting children mostly present with metastatic disease that is hardly treatable with intensive multimodal therapy and portends a poor prognosis. Therefore, the likelihood of children with high-risk NB relapse remains extremely high, which calls for urgent action to discover novel treatment options to improve survival. Assessing the anti-cancer properties of known natural compounds may offer novel therapeutic options against NB. In this study we aimed to investigate the anti-cancer properties of the Verbacum gypsicola methanol extract (VGME) rich in flavonoids on SH-SY5Y cell line. For this purpose, we used LC-MS analysis to investigate the flavonoid composition of VGME, MTT analysis to investigate its effect on cell viability, and flow cytometry and qRT-PCR analyses to investigate its effect on apoptosis. VGME had a high flavonoid content. Its IC50 dose was 50 μg/mL at 48 hours. It significantly increased intracellular ROS level, apoptotic cells’ percentage, and mitochondrial disruption. The capacity of VGME to block cancer growth via an intrinsic apoptotic route implies that it might be a classic option for anticancer drug creation.

Keywords

• Apoptosis
• Flavonoid
• Mitochondrial membrane potential
• Reactive oxygen species

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