Abstract
The objective of the present study was to examine the antitumor efficacy of the ethanol
extract from Artemisia dracunculus as well as the compounds isolated from it on cultured EC‑109 esophageal squamous
cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. Apoptotic activities of the compounds were also studied
using flow cytometry. EC‑109 esophageal cancer cells were treated with varying concentrations
of compounds 1–7 isolated from the plant as well as the ethanol extract of Artemisia dracunculus. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and the apoptotic studies of the compounds
were determined using flow-cytometry. Effect on mitochondrial membrane potential loss
ΛΨ m induced by compounds 2 and 4 was also studied in these cells. Bioassay-guided
fractionation of the ethanol extract from the shoot and root parts of Artemisia dracunculus led to the isolation of 7-methoxycoumarin (1), scopoletin (2), dracumerin (3), sakuranetin
(4), elimicin (5), davidigenin (6) and 6-methoxycapillarisin (7). All the compounds
as well as the extract showed mild to potent cell proliferation inhibitory activities
against the esophageal cell line. Sakuranetin and 6-methoxycapillarisin were found
to have the most potent effects in inhibiting the cell proliferation. The 2 potent
compounds, sakuranetin and 6-methoxycapillarisin were evaluated for their effects
on cell cycle phase distribution (DNA damage) as well as their effects on mitochondrial
membrane potential loss ΛΨ m. Both compounds induced DNA damage as well as mitochondrial
membrane potential loss in esophageal cancer cells. The study suggests that compounds,
Sakuranetin and 6-methoxycapillarisin isolated from Artemisia dracunculus possess potent anticancer effects by inducing DNA damage in these cells.
Key words
artemisia dracunculus
- antitumor - apoptosis - sakuranetin - 6-methoxycapillarisin
