Anti-proliferation effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of rorippa nasturtium aquaticum on human cervical cancer cells

Background: Cervical cancer is highly prevalent in women. Annually, around half a million women are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer worldwide. Recently, prevention and treatment of cancer using herbs has drawn the attention of many researchers. Watercress is a plant from the Brassicaceae family, which has been recommended throughout the history for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Isothiocyanate in Brassicaceae plants such as the watercress has been considered as an effective anticancer agent.Methods: In this study, watercress plant extraction was performed by soxhlet. The extract was applied oncancerous Hela cell line and fibroblasts at 0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 mg/ml concentrations and the mortality rates of the cells was examined at three durations of 24, 48, and 72 hours after the incubation using the MTT test and compared with the control group.Result: Results of the MTT test showed that, as the concentration and duration of the extract implementation increases, the cell survival rate of the cancerous hella cell line decreases. Besides that, with effectiveness on fibroblast cell line, IC50 value of these cells after 24, 48 and 72 h were 415 mg/ml, 386 mg/ml and 372 mg/ml, respectively.Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extract of watercress can inhibit the growth of Hella cells and, on the other hand, does not have cytotoxicity against fibroblast cell line. Thus, it can be considered as a safe alternative.

Keywords:

Cervical cancer , DPPH , MTT , Watercress , Soxhlet