Anticancer Activity of Certain Herbs and Spices on the Cervical Epithelial Carcinoma (HeLa) Cell Line

Abstract

Acetone extracts of selected plant species were evaluated for theirin vitrocytotoxicity against a noncancerous African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell line and an adenocarcinoma cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line. The plants studied wereOriganum vulgareL. (Oregano),Rosmarinus officinalisL. (Upright and ground cove rosemary),Lavandula spicaL. (Lavender),Laurus nobilisL. (Bay leaf),Thymus vulgarisL. (Thyme),Lavandula x intermediaL. (Margaret Roberts Lavender),Petroselinum crispumMill. (Curly leaved parsley),Foeniculum vulgareMill. (Fennel), andCapsicum annuumL. (Paprika). Antioxidant activity was determined using a quantitative DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) assay. The rosemary species exhibited effective radical scavenging capacity with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of3.48±0.218 μg/mL and10.84±0.125 μg/mL and vitamin C equivalents of 0.351 g and 1.09 g for McConnell’s Blue and Tuscan Blue, respectively. Cytotoxicity was measured using XTT (Sodium3′-[1-(phenyl amino-carbonyl)-3,4-tetrazolium]-bis-[4-methoxy-6-nitro] benzene sulfonic acid hydrate) colorimetric assay. OnlyL. nobilisandO. vulgareexhibited pronounced effects on the HeLa cell line. Dose-dependent studies revealed IC50of34.46±0.48 μg/mL and126.3±1.00 μg/mL on the HeLa cells and on the Vero cells 124.1 μg/mL ± 18.26 and 163.8 μg/mL ± 2.95 forL. nobilisandO. vulgare, respectively. Light (eosin and haematoxylin staining) and confocal microscopy (Hoechst 33342, acridine orange, and propidium iodide staining) were used to evaluate the cytotoxic mechanism of action forL. nobilisandO. vulgare.