Evaluating anticancer effects of tamarix ramosissima on a549 cells

Elham Mirzaaghaei,1 Ali mohammad foroughmand,2 Somaye mirzaaghaei,3 Aazam aarabi,4,*

1. Department Of Food Science and Technology, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran
2. Departrment of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz, Ahvaz-Iran
3. Departrment of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz, Ahvaz-Iran
4. Department Of Food Science and Technology, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran

Abstract

Introduction

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death all over the world. using plant derived materials as folk remedy has been reported since ancient times. high content of different types of bioactive agents and antioxidants, less side effects and resistance to therapy put these materials at the center of attention as chemoprinventive agents in planning different strategies of cancer therapy. in this study, the effects of tamarix ramosissima (ta) commonly known as ‘salt cedar’, a plant species of genus tamaricaceae native to iran, was evaluated on human lung cancer cell line, a549.

Methods

Mtt assay was used to evaluate toxic effects of ethanol, aqueous-ethanol and aqueous extracts of ta on a549 cells in comparison with normal fibroblast cells, in two different time points, 24 and 48 hours.

Results

Results indicated that the extracts have time and concentration dependent effect on both a549 and fibroblast cells. however, all extracts showed significant toxic effects on a549 cells in 72 hours compared with fibroblasts, especially in highest concentrations. cell viability of a549 in response to 200 μg/ml of ethanol extract and the ethanol-aqueous extract was 47.90%±9.53 and 60.63% ±6.04, respectively, in comparison with fibroblasts viability in equal concentrations of these extracts (89.16%±6.9 and 79.00±11 respectively) in 72 hours.

Conclusion

Results indicated that ethanol extract of ta reveals a good anti cancer effects against a549 cells, while less toxicity was observed in fibroblasts. these observations make ta as a promising chemopreventive agent in future studies on cancer therapy researches.

Keywords

Tamarix raosissima, chemoprevention, a549, lung cancer