Cytotoxic effects of Eryngium kotschyi and Eryngium maritimum on Hep2, HepG2, Vero and U138 MG cell lines

Context: Eryngium maritimum L. and the endemic Eryngium kotschyi Boiss. of the Apiaceae family are used for antiinflammatory, antivenom, antinociceptive and diuretic purposes in folk medicine in Turkey. Objective: This study investigated the cytotoxic effects of the plant extracts belonging to Eryngium L. genus on various cell lines. Materials and methods: Cytotoxic activites of the lyophilized aqueous aereal and root parts of the plant extracts on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma (Hep2), human glioma (U138-MG) and African green monkey kidney epithelial (Vero) cell lines at 8.33-266.62 mu g/ml concentrations were analyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) cell viability assays. Results: Inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) values were found <100 mu g/ml in most cases varying around 16.33-125.66 mu g/ml. IC50 values for E. kostchyi and E. maritimum root parts on Hep2 cells (32.86 and 30.25 mu g/ml, respectively), E. kotschyi aereal, E. maritimum aereal and root parts on HepG2 cells (31.75, 32.42 and 35.01 mu g/ml, respectively) by MTT assay were found to be close to the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommendations (IC50 < 30 mu g/ml) to define the antivity aganist cancer cells. The lowest IC50 values according to the LDH method were observed in Hep2 cells and the highest in U138-MG cells. Root parts were found to be more toxic than aereal parts for both plants in both methods in general. Discussion and conclusion: Both plant extracts exerted cytotoxic activity aganist Hep2 and HepG2 cells, with low IC50 values defining their promising anticancer property according to NCI; however, further analysis are needed to confirm their activity.