Abstract
Thymol is a monoterpene phenol found in thyme species plants. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of thymol and its molecular mechanism on non-small lung cancer (A549) cells. The cytotoxic effect of thymol on A549cells wasassessed via MTTassay. ROS production, macromolecular damage, apoptosis were determinedusing DCF-DA, PI, AO/EtBrstains, respectively. ROS-dependent effect of thymol was confirmed using NAC. The expression of caspase-9,Bcl-2, Bax and cell cycle profile was analyzed via western blot and FACS, respectively. The antiproliferative effect of thymol on A549 cells was found to be both dose and time dependent with IC50 values of 112μg/ml (745μM) at 24h. Thymol treatment favored apoptotic cell death and caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. It mediated cellular and nuclear morphological changes, phosphatidylserine translocation, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Additionally, upregulation of Bax, downregulation of Bcl-2, and apoptotic fragmented DNA were also observed. Thymol induced ROS by reducing the SOD level which was confirmed via in vitro and in silico analysis.Furthermore, the levels of lipid peroxides and protein carbonyl content were elevated in thymol-treated groups. Notably,N-acetyl cysteine pretreatment reversed the efficacy of thymol on A549 cells. Moreover,thymol-treated human PBMCcellsdid not show any significant cytotoxicity. Overall, our results confirmed that thymol can act as a safe and potenttherapeuticagent to treat NSCLC.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
