Abstract
BACKGROUND: Since ancient times, several people in the Mediterranean region have employed Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra in traditional medicine. However, only the composition of its essential oils has received extensive research. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the cytogenetic and cytotoxic effects of H. triquetrifolium methanolic leaf extract on four different cancer cell lines. METHODS: Methanolic extract of H. triquetrifolium leaves was prepared. Albino male mice were grouped into five: group 1 (blank control) received water;group II (CYP) received cyclophosphoamide; groups III, IV, and V were administered 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of H. triquetrifolium extracts. On the 11th day, the animals were sacrificed and bone marrowwascollected. The metaphase index (MI) of the bone marrow cells was determined to evaluate the cytogenetic effect of the extract. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was tested on four cancer cell lines (HepG2, PC3, MDA, and A594), while WRL-68 normal cells were employed as control. RESULTS: The index of bone marrow cells in cyclophosphamide (CYP)-treated albino male mice shows a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) between concentration inhibition 50 % IC50 of cancer cell line compered to WRL-68 normal cells, on MDA and WRL-68 cells (IC50 =185.7, 200.7), HepG2 and WRL-68 (IC50 104.9, 564.6), A549 and WRL-68 (IC50 115, 192), PC3 and WRL-68 (IC50 160.7, 298.7). The results showed that the extracts was able to increase metaphase index compared to cyclophasoamide-treated mice, which caused a drop in the percentage of metaphase index. CONCLUSIONS: The current study was showed that significant anti - proliferation activity of Hypericum triquetrifolium methanolic extract against MDA-MB-231 cell line is an epithelial, human breast cancer cell line,WRL-68, HepG2 and lung cancer cell lines (A594).