Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides L. induces mitochondrial-mediated pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis in human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells

Qian Rui-Hua¹, Zhu Xiao-Huan¹, Hao Jun-Mei¹, Li Hai-Ying¹, Song Bo-Han¹, Ren Qiu-Rong¹, Ma Dan-Wei¹, Wang Ya-Nan¹ , Chen Zhao-Bin^2,3

College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101; ²Department of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041; ³Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518054, PR China.

For correspondence:- Wang Ya-Nan Email: 273218760@qq.com Tel:+862884480655

Accepted: 27 January 2020 Published: 30 April 2020

Citation: Rui-Hua Q, Xiao-Huan Z, Jun-Mei H, Hai-Ying L, Bo-Han S, Qiu-Rong R, et al. Essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides L. induces mitochondrial-mediated pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis in human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(4):837-843 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i4.23

© 2020 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the cytotoxic effect of essential oil derived from Chenopodium ambrosioides L. in Sichuan Province on human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells, as well as its possible molecular mechanisms.

Methods: Cytotoxicity was characterized by MTT assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of SMMC-7721 cells ultrastructure. The apoptotic effect of the essential oil was evaluated by changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and Western blot assay.

Results: MTT assay data indicate that the essential oil was cytotoxic to SMMC-7721 cells, while TEN revealed that there were vacuoles and nucleus fragmentation in the SMMC-7721 cell cytosol, cell swelling, and a large amount of leakage. Mitochondrial membrane potential assay and Western Blot data indicate that the essential oil induced cell apoptosis.

Conclusion: The essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. in Sichuan Province seems to induce apoptosis of human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells via the mitochondrial-mediated pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Thus, this plant requires further investigation as a potential source of an anti-liver cancer drug.

Keywords: Chenopodium ambrosioides Essential oil; Anti-tumor activity, Liver cancer Apoptosis, SMMC-7721 cells