Investigating the Cytotoxic Effects of Artemisia absinthium Extract on Oral Carcinoma Cell Line
Ioannis Tsamesidis, Aliki Papadimitriou‐Tsantarliotou, Athanasios Christodoulou, Dionysia Amanatidou, Chrysostomos Avgeros, Evangelia Stalika, Maria Bousnaki, Georgia Michailidou, Anastasia Beketova, Phaedra Eleftheriou, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Ioannis S. Vizirianakis, Eleana Kontonasaki
Abstract
Background: Artemisia absinthium (A. absinthium), commonly known as absinthe, is a perennial plant with distinctive broad ovate pointed leaves of a silvery-gray color, reaching a height of 1.5 m. The utilization of this herb as a source of natural compounds and as the primary ingredient in the alcoholic beverage absinthe has recently seen a resurgence following a period of prohibition. This study investigates the biological effects of A. absinthium extract on healthy human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) and the human tongue squamous carcinoma cell line (HSC-3). Methods: A. absinthium element characterization was performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the Folin method. Alizarin assays evaluated the osteogenic capacity of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLSCs) while CCK-8 and MTT determined the cytotoxicity of the extract against HSC-3 and hPDLSCs. Results: High artemisinin levels were detected, revealing a concentration of 89 μM (25 μg/mL). The total phenolic concentration of the extract was 1.07 mM +/− 0.11. The in vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed the biocompatible profile of the Artemisia extract in hPDLSCs without exhibiting any osteogenic potential. After 24 h of incubation with HSC-3, Artemisia extract (10 µM) decreased cancer cell viability by 99% and artemisinin by 64%, and increased the expression of Caspase 3 and 9 almost six and two times, respectively. Conclusions: In summary, our preliminary findings suggest that A. absinthium extract exhibits a toxic effect against carcinoma cell lines without affecting healthy human periodontal ligament stem cells.