Effects of Juniperus drupacea concurrent with etoposide on glioblastoma cell culture

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a prevalent and most malignant kind of glioma, reported as grade IV glioma by the World Health Organization. In a year 3–10 per 100.000 people are diagnosed with GBM and their mean life expectancy could only be 12–16 months after diagnosis.Juniperus drupacea, a member of the Cupressaceae family is a medicinal herb. In this study, the free radical scavenging activity and volatile components of Juniperus drupacea were analyzed and the cytotoxic effects of Juniperus drupacea molasses and cone seed extract in combination with etoposide on GBM cell line (U-87 MG (ATCC® HTB-14TM)) were evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of Juniperus drupacea extract on the migration capacity of GBM cells was examined. Based on the DPPH radical scavenging activity assay, the amount of free radical-binding antioxidants in the Juniperus drupacea extract was found to be 0.575 mg/mL Trolox equivalent. The results of the cytotoxicity and migration assays revealed that Juniperus drupacea reduced the viability and migration capacity of GBM cells and increase the cytotoxic effect of etoposide. Considering these findings, it was hypothesized that some of the components of Juniperus drupacea might have possible therapeutic effects for the treatment of glioblastoma.