In vitro anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity of different fractions of Artemisia armeniaca

Anti-proliferative properties have been reported for certain species of the genus Artemisia. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of n-hexane, CH₂Cl₂, EtOAc, n-BuOH and H₂O fractions obtained from a crude methanol extract of A. armeniaca on two myeloid cell lines, apoptosis-proficient HL60 cells and apoptosis-resistant K562 cells; in addition, J774 cells were used as a control. Among the solvent fractions of A. armeniaca, the CH₂Cl₂ fraction was found to have the largest anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells. The IC₅₀ values obtained using an MTS assay for the CH₂Cl₂ fraction were 75 and 130 µg/ml for HL-60 cells and K562, respectively. The control cells were not significantly affected by this fraction. A flow cytometry histogram of cells treated with the CH₂Cl₂ fraction of A. armeniaca revealed a sub-G1 peak. DNA fragmentation, increased protein levels of Bax and cleavage of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein confirmed the induction of apoptosis in cells after a 48-h exposure to the CH₂Cl₂ fraction. Our results corroborate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of the CH₂Cl₂ fraction of A. armeniaca on K562 and HL-60 cancer cell lines.

Artemisia armeniaca; Asteraceae; Leukemic cell lines; Apoptosis