Cytotoxic, genotoxic and anti-metastatic activity of Alkanna orientalis (L.) extract on glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer

Year 2025, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 56 - 63, 13.12.2025

Özge Çağlar Yıldırım , Sena Öner , Cihat Aksakal , Ceren Karagöz , Cemal Metehan Akkuş , Hasan Türkez

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17786112

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects of the aqueous extract of Alkanna orientalis (L.) on U87-MG glioblastoma cells. The cytotoxicity of this extract on normal human dermal fibroblasts and its anti-cancer activity on glioblastoma cells were assessed by using MTT assay. The potential genotoxic effects of the Alkanna orientalis (L.) extract on cell nuclei were further examined by Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining and analyzed microscopically. In addition, the inhibitory effect of the extract at a selected dose on the metastatic capacity of glioblastoma cells was investigated using in vitro scratch assay. The plant extract demonstrated no significant cytotoxicity in HDF cells at any of the tested concentrations, whereas even the lowest tested dose exhibited notable anti-proliferative activity against U87-MG glioblastoma cells. Hoechst 33258 staining revealed no evidence of genotoxic nuclear alterations in HDF cells treated with 400 µg/mL extract compared to untreated controls. Moreover, the in vitro scratch assay revealed a pronounced inhibition of U87-MG cell migration 24 hours after treatment with this plant extract, indicating a potential anti-metastatic effect. These findings suggest that the aqueous extract of Alkanna orientalis (L.) may represent a promising alternative therapeutic candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Keywords

glioblastoma , Alkanna orientalis , aqueous plant extract , anti-proliferative , anti-metastatic

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