title: Investigation of the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptosis-inducing effects of estragole isolated from fennel (Foeniculum vulgare).
abstract: The present study was undertaken to evaluate, in the HepG2 human hepatoma cell line, the in vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptotic activities of estragole (1), contained in the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and suspected to induce hepatic tumors in susceptible strains of mice. Toward this end, an MTT cytotoxicity assay, a trypan blue dye exclusion test, a double-staining (acridine orange and DAPI) fluorescence viability assay, a single-cell microgel-electrophoresis (comet) assay, a mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) assay, and a DNA fragmentation analysis were conducted. In terms of potential genotoxic effects, the comet assay indicated that estragole (1) was not able to induce DNA damage nor apoptosis under the experimental conditions used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Unit of Public Health), University of Perugia , Via del Giochetto, 06122 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villarini
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pagiotti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dominici
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fatigoni
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vannini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levorato
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moretti
mesh_terms: D000165:Acridine Orange; D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000818:Animals; D000840:Anisoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D030001:Foeniculum / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000840:Anisoles; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007211:Indoles; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C007293:DAPI; C007633:estragole; D000165:Acridine Orange