[ inhibitory effect of Artemisia annua extracts on gastric cancer cells via apoptosis induction]

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown an anti-tumoral effect for different species of Artemisia. This study was performed to evaluate the anti-tumural effects of different kinds of Artemisia annua extracts on gastric cancer cells. Methanol, ethylacetate, dichloromethane and hexane extracts of Artemisia annua were prepared by step to step procedure. Cultivated gastric cancer cell line [AGS] and normal fibroblast cells [L929] were incubated with different concentrations of extracts for 24 hours and cell growth inhibition was determined using MTT assay and results were reported as lC50 [concentration that caused 50 percent inhibition of cells growth]. Annexin V and propidium iodide [PI] staining was used to evaluate the apoptosis and/or necrosis induction in cancer cells. One way ANOVA was used for analysis. The results obtained from MTT assay showed a strong and dose-dependent inhibition of cancer cell growth by different Artemisia annua extracts. The most cytotoxic effect was obtained by methanolic extract [IC50 500 microg/ml] and it caused apoptosis more than other extracts. Isolated extracts from Artemisia annua caused a significant decrease in gastric cancer cell growth mainly by induction of apoptosis and at the same time they had less toxicity on normal cells. Therefore, Isolation and purification of effective compound/s from this extracts and determination of their mechanisms of action is suggested