The protective effect of Ammi visnaga extract against human hepatic cancer

Abstract Cancer is the most serious disease globally and it’s the second in mortality rate after heart failure. Hepatic cancer is a common cancer disease worldwide. This investigation was designed to assess the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Ammi visnaga (A. visnaga) seed extract on human liver cancer cell line (HuH-7). Based on IC50 values, three doses (500, 1000, 1500 μg/ml) were selected. Treated cells with MTT assay reduced cell viability at 1000 μg/ml and higher after 48hrs. NRU test demonstrated significant increase at (1500 and 2000 μg/ml) in dose-dependent manner indicating lysosomal toxicity. The level of oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed using SOD, glutathione (GSH), catalase and ROS assays. The intracellular ROS was highly increased and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) confirmed the damage of mitochondrial membrane in HuH-7 cells. The level of GSH significantly increased after treatment. In contrast, the levels of SOD, and catalase activities significantly decreased after treatment. The effects of MMP significantly decreased after treatment compared to control. Gene expression data reported significantly upregulation of apoptotic genes. In conclusion, this finding revealed that A. visnaga seeds extract has hepatoprotective potential against HuH-7 cells, signifying their promising clinical applications as a potential therapeutic agent for liver diseases.