title: Investigating anticancer properties of the sesquiterpene ferutinin on colon carcinoma cells, in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this research, ferutinin was evaluated for its possible cytotoxic and apoptotic inducing effects in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine IC50 values of ferutinin, CT26, HT29 and NIH/3T3 cells were treated with different concentrations of ferutinin. In addition to morphological changes in cells, the DNA damage was studied using DAPI staining, comet assay and PI staining. Ferutinin was also tested for its in vivo activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of cell survival by MTT assay showed that the IC50 values of ferutinin on CT26 and HT29 cells were 26 and 29 μg/ml, respectively, while after treating nontumoural mouse cells even with 50 μg/ml ferutinin, 70% of cells was still surviving. The results of DAPI staining and comet assay revealed that ferutinin significantly induced DNA damage in treated cells. Induction of sub-G1 peak after PI staining was also indicative of apoptotic effects of ferutinin in cancerous cells. In vivo studies showed a significant regression in tumour size in mice treated with ferutinin as compared to control groups. Its antitumour effects were very similar to the cisplatin treated group. Histological studies demonstrated that apoptosis rate in tumour cells was increased in comparison to tumour cells in control mice without ferutinin treatment. Interestingly, haematoxylin and eosin staining showed no damage in the spleen and liver of ferutinin treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As ferutinin showed less toxic effects in nontumoural cells, and induced its effects via apoptosis induction, it could be considered as an effective anticancer agent for future preclinical experiments.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Nahid
authors: N
authors: Arghiani
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; Cell and Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: Matin@um.ac.ir.
authors: Maryam M
authors: MM
authors: Matin
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; Cell and Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Ahmad Reza
authors: AR
authors: Bahrami
authors: Biotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Mehrdad
authors: M
authors: Iranshahi
authors: Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Ameneh
authors: A
authors: Sazgarnia
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; Cell and Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh B
authors: FB
authors: Rassouli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003508:Cycloheptanes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001565:Benzoates; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D003508:Cycloheptanes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C111068:4-oxy-6-(4-oxybezoyloxy)dauc-8,9-en
keywords: Antitumour; CT26; Cisplatin; Ferutinin; In vivo