Investigation of the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptosis-inducing effects of estragole isolated from fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

J Nat Prod. 2014 Apr 25;77(4):773-8. doi: 10.1021/np400653p. Epub 2014 Mar 11.

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate, in the HepG2 human hepatoma cell line, the in vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptotic activities of estragole (1), contained in the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and suspected to induce hepatic tumors in susceptible strains of mice. Toward this end, an MTT cytotoxicity assay, a trypan blue dye exclusion test, a double-staining (acridine orange and DAPI) fluorescence viability assay, a single-cell microgel-electrophoresis (comet) assay, a mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) assay, and a DNA fragmentation analysis were conducted. In terms of potential genotoxic effects, the comet assay indicated that estragole (1) was not able to induce DNA damage nor apoptosis under the experimental conditions used.

MeSH terms

  • Acridine Orange
  • Allylbenzene Derivatives
  • Animals
  • Anisoles / chemistry
  • Anisoles / isolation & purification*
  • Anisoles / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
  • DNA Damage / drug effects
  • DNA Fragmentation
  • Electrophoresis
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Foeniculum / chemistry*
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Indoles
  • Liver Neoplasms
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oils, Volatile / analysis

Substances

  • Allylbenzene Derivatives
  • Anisoles
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Indoles
  • Oils, Volatile
  • DAPI
  • estragole
  • Acridine Orange