Anti-oral squamous cell carcinoma, DNA damage, and apoptotic induction of Nectaroscordum tripedale essential oil

Shakib, Pegah; Abbasi, Roshanak; Tavakol, Fatemeh; Rezaei, Mohammad; Sharafi, Zeinab; Hemmati, Aida; Sepahdar, Asma

doi:10.22092/ari.2025.365868.3155

Anti-oral squamous cell carcinoma, DNA damage, and apoptotic induction of Nectaroscordum tripedale essential oil

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

¹ Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Student Research Committee, School of Dentistry, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.

³ Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

10.22092/ari.2025.365868.3155

Abstract

In recent years, advancements in cancer research have led to the identification of numerous bioactive compounds derived from natural sources, particularly plants, many of which exhibit promising antitumor properties. For centuries, plants have been the main source of discovery of various medicines.Among these, essential oils and their constituents have attracted considerable scientific interest due to their potent anticancer effects. Much research is being conducted around the world to discover natural compounds that can inhibit or prevent the process of cancer.The current study explores the anticancer activity and underlying mechanisms of essential oil extracted from Nectaroscordum tripedale (N. tripedale EO) on oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lines.After extraction of the essential oil, its chemical profile was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which identified Germacrene-D as the predominant component, accounting for 32.3% of the oil's composition. The cytotoxicity of N. tripedale EO was assessed using the MTT assay on both human oral cancer cells (KB) and normal human gingival fibroblasts (HGF1). The half-maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) was determined through probit analysis.Further evaluation focused on the oil's effect on apoptosis-related genes, revealing a marked upregulation of caspase-3 and Bax, alongside a downregulation of Bcl-2, in both HGF1-RT1 and KB cell lines following treatment with the oil at ½ CC50 and CC50 doses. Additionally, DNA synthesis activity was found to decrease in a dose-dependent manner across both cancerous and normal cells.Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of N. tripedale essential oil as an effective anticancer agent, capable of inducing apoptosis, reducing cellular viability in malignant cells, and suppressing DNA replication.

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