The evaluation and comparing of cytotoxic effects of Ferula gummosa gum, Scutellaria lindbergii, Kelussia odoratissima and Artemisia kopetdaghensis extracts on ACHN cell line

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of most fatal cancers. In most patients It is resistant to chemotherapy. Ferula gummosa gum, Scutellaria lindbergii, Kelussia odoratissima and Artemisia kopetdaghensis are herbs that there are some cytotoxic activity reports about them. In this study cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of these four extracts on RCC cell line (ACHN) were evaluated and compared.ACHN cells were treated with different concentrations of herbal extracts (15-500 μg/ml). Cell proliferation was determined after 24, 48, and 72 h by MTT assay. Apoptotic cells were determined using PI staining of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry. Cell viability decreased with all herbal extracts in ACHN cells by 24, 48 and 72 h as compared with control. Extracts induced a sub-G1 peak in flow cytometry histogram of treated cells indicating apoptotic cell death is involved in extracts induced-toxicity. Results imply that four herbal extracts inhibit the growth of ACHN cells as a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Also results show that apoptosis is proposed as the possible mechanism of action. So four herbal extracts could be considered as good anticancer agents in RCC after further studies.