Abstract
Background: Ferula assa-foetida is a herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family having a broad spectrum of biological activities such as antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammation, and, anti-tumor activity against a wide range of cancers. Among these features, antitumor activity has become more important in recent years and it still demands more investigations to address the underlying mechanisms. Purpose: This current study was conducted to evaluate the anti-proliferative effect of Ferula assa-foetida on PC12 and MCF7 cells as well as examining its mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Cells were cultured in DMEM medium with 10% fetal bovine serum, 100 units/ml penicillin, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin. Cells incubated with different concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Ferula assa-foetida. Notably, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assay were measured by MTT and PI staining, respectively. Results: The MTT results showed that the ethanolic extract of Ferula assa-foetida in concentrations of 10, 7, 5, and 2.5 μM on both PC12 and MCF7 cells had a significant effect in cell viability and apoptosis induction in comparison to control group. Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that Ferula assa-fetida through the induction of apoptosis prevented the growth of PC12 and MCF7 cells and made a reduction in cell viability with different concentrations in a time- and dose-dependent manner. However, more studies are needed to reveal the mechanisms of Ferula assa-foetida’s extract in apoptosis induction.
Highlights
Cancer is one of the most important public health problems worldwide, which is the second leading cause of death in the world [1]
The results of the current study showed that Ferula assafoetida's extract had an antiproliferative effect against PC12 and MCF7 cells in a dose-dependent manner
The results showed that the extract of Ferula assa-foetida reduced cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner (Figure 2)
Summary
Cancer is one of the most important public health problems worldwide, which is the second leading cause of death in the world [1]. Ferula assa-foetida is a herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family having a broad spectrum of biological activities such as antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammation, and, anti-tumor activity against a wide range of cancers. Among these features, antitumor activity has become more important in recent years and it still demands more investigations to address the underlying mechanisms. Results: The MTT results showed that the ethanolic extract of Ferula assa-foetida in concentrations of 10, 7, 5, and 2.5 μM on both PC12 and MCF7 cells had a significant effect in cell viability and apoptosis induction in comparison to control group. More studies are needed to reveal the mechanisms of Ferula assa-foetida’s extract in apoptosis induction
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
