![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the essential oils of Myrtus communis L.from the south of Turkey by the GC/MS method and to demonstrate its proapoptotic effects on A549 cells. A549 cells were used as cell lines in the study. Cells were treated for 24 hours with a different concentration of the essential oil (from 200 to 31.25 μg/ml). Non-toxic concentrations of essential oils of MC were determined by the MTT method. Apoptosis studies were performed within the determined non-toxic concentrations of essential oils. Expression levels of the caspase 3, caspase 8, caspase 9, Bcl-2, and p21 genes were performed by qRT-PCR method. Eucalyptol (1,8-cineole; 31.2 %) was found at the highest rate in the essential oils content, while alphapinene followed it with a rate of 29.6 %. Our results showed that essential oil concentrations of 625 μg/ml and higher than this concentration significantly suppressed cell viability at the end of the 24-hour incubation compared to the control group. The expression levels of caspase 3 and caspase 9 genes, which are the mediators of the intrinsic pathway, increased statistically significantly at the essential oil concentration of 312.5 μg/ml (respectively, p=0.0129 and p=0.0180). The expression level of the p21 gene was significantly increased at a concentration of 156.25 μg/ml essential oils (p=0.0002). The essential oils of MC from the South of Turkey have been found to induce apoptosis intrinsically. These findings could be a guide in understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-cancer properties of MC’s essential oils on A549 cells. We think that it has the potential to be a new natural therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.