Effect of total hydroalcholic extract of Nigella sativa and its n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions on ACHN and GP-293 cell lines

Samira Shahraki; Abolfazl Khajavirad; Mohammad Naser Shafei; Mahmoud Mahmoudi; Nafisa Sadat Tabasi

doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.11.018

Effect of total hydroalcholic extract of Nigella sativa and its n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions on ACHN and GP-293 cell lines

J Tradit Complement Med. 2015 Jan 29;6(1):89-96. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.11.018. eCollection 2016 Jan.

Authors

Samira Shahraki¹, Abolfazl Khajavirad², Mohammad Naser Shafei³, Mahmoud Mahmoudi⁴, Nafisa Sadat Tabasi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
² Neurogenic Inflammation Research Centre and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
³ Neurocognetive Research Center and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
⁴ Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Abstract

Medicinal plants are noted for their many advantages including the ability to treat diseases such as cancer. In this study, we examined the antitumor effect of the medicinal plant Nigella sativa on the morphology, survival, and apoptosis of ACHN (human renal adenocarcinoma) and GP-293 (normal renal epithelial) cell lines. From a hydroalcoholic extract of N. sativa, n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions were extracted. Cells were treated with various concentrations of total hydroalcholic extract and n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions; cell viability, morphological changes, and apoptosis were then determined. Results were presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. The total extract and the fractions in a dose- and time-dependent manner reduced the cell viability in ACHN with no effect on the GP-293 cell line. In addition, the total extract resulted in more morphological changes in the ACHN cells compared to the GP-293 cells. The effect of the total extract in inducing apoptosis after 48 hours in the ACHN cell line was greater than in GP-293. In addition, the effect of the two fractions was lower than the total extract at all used concentrations. Therefore, the effect of total extract and n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of N. sativa on cell viability and apoptosis in the ACHN cell line is greater than in the GP-293 cell line. However, the effect of the total extract is higher than either of the two fractions on their own.

Keywords: ACHN cell line; GP-293 cell line; MTT; Nigella sativa; apoptosis; renal cell carcinoma.