Abstract
Lung cancer is a cancer type with a high mortality rates in the world. Polyphenols found naturally in plants are known for their antioxidant properties. Polyphenols are studied due to their biological activity and nutritional antioxidant potential. Ellagic acid is a natural compound contained in many plants like strawberry, cranberry, walnut, pomegranate and raspberry. Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties and protects the body from harmful free radicals. In this study, due to its potential to suppress cell growth in many cancer cells, ellagic acid, was used to stimulate cell death in lung cancer cells, A549. Cytotoxic effects of ellagic acid on A549 cells were determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) technique. Moreover, ultrastructural and morphological changes were evaluated with TEM and confocal microscopy techniques. Cytotoxicity test results showed that the percentages of viability decreased by an increase in the applied dose and morphological and ultrastructural analyzes showed that the cytotoxicity of this agent caused changes as chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, loss of cristae that are considered as clear apoptosis signes. Based on our results ellagic acid may be recommended for further research on different types of cancer in order to find an alternative agent for cancer treatment.
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