The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of in vitro anticancer and cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extracts of 14 medicinal plants, 8 of which are endemic species in Anatolia, against the human HeLa cervical cancer cell line and to compare to the normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line (Vero) using the MTT colorimetric assay. Values for cytotoxicity measured by MTT assay were expressed as the concentration that causes 50% decrease in cell viability (IC₅₀, μg/mL). The degree of selectivity of the compounds can be expressed by its selectivity index (SI) value. High SI value (>2) of a compound gives the selective toxicity against cancer cells (SI = IC₅₀ normal cell/IC₅₀ cancer cell). Dose-dependent studies revealed IC₅₀ of 293 mg/mL and >1000 mg/mL for Cotinus coggygria Scop., IC₅₀ of 265 μg/mL and >1000 mg/mL for Rosa damascena Miller, IC₅₀ of 2 μg/mL and 454 mg/mL for Colchicum sanguicolle K.M. Perss, IC₅₀ of 427 μg/mL and >1000 μg/mL for Centaurea antiochia Boiss. var. praealta (Boiss & Bal) Wagenitz on the HeLa cells and the Vero cells, respectively. Four plants showed significant SI values which were 227 for Colchicum sanguicolle K.M. Perss (endemic species), >3.8 for Rosa damascena Miller, >3.4 for Cotinus coggygria Scop. and >2.3 for Centaurea antiochia Boiss. var. praealta (Boiss & Bal) Wagenitz (endemic species). According to our study, 4 methanolic extracts of 14 tested plants exhibit greater activity on the HeLa cell line and little activity on the Vero cell line, meaning that these plants can be evaluated for potential promising anticancer activity.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the world. Several natural products have been studied for anticancer activity and for prevention or repair of oxidative injury. Curcumin is one of the natural products of high medicinal interest. This study was performed to investigate effects of curcumin on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in tissues of mice bearing Ehrlich solid tumor. Forty mice were distributed to four groups as healthy control and treatments that received 1 × 10⁶ Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells and EAT cells plus 25 mg/kg/day or 50 mg/kg/day curcumin subcutaneously. The liver, kidney, brain and testis tissues were collected for the malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase analyses. Tumor development increased MDA levels in liver (p = 0.001), kidney (p < 0.001) and testis (p < 0.01) and curcumin reduced liver Mathew decreased liver and kidney SOD activities were increased by both levels of curcumin (p = 0.001) but 50 mg/kg/day curcumin increased brain SOD activity (p < 0.001). The kidney CAT activity was increased by 50 mg/kg/day curcumin (p < 0.001). This study showed that curcumin suppresses tumor progression, and alleviates the lipid peroxidation and improves antioxidant status in the tissues of solid tumor-bearing mice.

Herbal medicine has been used historically for anticancer effect and potent antiproliferative effects on different cancer cell lines. Prostate cancer has become the most common malignancy and the second highest cause of cancer death Western world. The antioxidant, antidepressant and antimicrobial effect of Viscum album, Inula viscosa, Hypericum perforatum, Lysimachia nummularia, Oleocanthal, Pinus pinaster and Rubus caeisus on cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated whether these seven plants show any anticancer properties on prostat cancer cell line. Du145 cancer cells and human adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cell were assessed for seven medical plants in culture with different doses. Firstly, the cytotoxicity rate (IC50) determined by MTT and then immunocytochemical procedure were done for oxidative stress (eNOS), angiogenesis (VEGF) and TUNEL method for apoptosis. The stainings were evaluated by H-score. According to the results, Inula viscosa and Rubus caeisus have a higher improvement effect than the other medicinal plants. And these plants were not toxic for adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells. These plants caused the inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostat cancer cells. Our results indicated that these plants may be potential agents in prostat cancer treatment.

Nowadays, interest in studies of traditional medicine in the world has gradually increased due to its potential to complement modern medicine, there are many phoytotherapautic plants that are used for the herbal medicine. Neuroblastoma (NB), is an embryonal tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, accounts for 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. In this study, we investigated to effect of several plants such as Viscum album, Inula viscosa, Hypericum perforatum, Lysimachia nummularia, Pinus pinaster and Rubus caeisus, Oleocanthal, is popular for the antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial features on the mouse neuroblastoma cell line Na2B. The effects of plants on the Na2B cell lines and mesenchymal stem cell. Viability of the cells were investigated via MTT assay for IC50 level. eNOS and VEGF immunohistochemical staining were done to show the oxidative stress and angiogenesis respectively. Also TUNNEL assay were done for the apoptosis. The best results were taken from the Inulo viscosa and Rubus caeisus. These plants showed the greater eNOS expression and the lower VEGF expression and TUNNEL staining. Moreover these plants were not toxic for the mesenchymal stem cell. Our results showed that the effect of especially Inulo viscosa and Rubus caeisus have potential effect for cancer treatment.

Medicinal herbs are being increasingly recognized as useful complementary treatments for cancer. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women worldwide. Colon cancer diseases is very heterogeneous in terms of grade, genetics, ploidy, and oncogene/tumor suppress or gene expression and its biological, hormonal, and molecular characteristics are extremely complex. In this study our aim was to identify the effect of different medical plants Viscum album, Inula viscosa, Hypericum perforatum, Lysimachia nummularia, Oleocanthal, Pinus pinaster and Rubus caeisus on colon cancer cell line. Colo320 cancer cells and human adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cell were analysed for four medical plants in culture. Firstly, the cytotoxicity rate (IC50) determined by MTT. After that, immunocytochemical staining were done eNOS, VEGF and TUNEL method for apoptosis. The stainings were evaluated by H-score. As a result, Inula viscosa and Rubus caeisus have a higher inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis in both cancers than the other medicinal plants. Colo320 cancer cells expressed strong eNOS by these plants and also both plants were not toxic for adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity makes natural compounds important for anticancer studies. Cousinia, is one of the most diverse genera of Asteraceae family. There are 6 sections of this genus in Turkey. One of them is Stenocephalae Bunge. Section including the species C. davisiana, C. foliosa, C. ramosissima and C. stenocephala. In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of species were evaluated. Activity tests were carried out on methanol extracts of these plants. As a result, for antioxidant activity, C. davisiana and for cytotoxic activity C. stenocephala were selected as the guide plants due to their potent activity and sub-extracts were prepared, more active sub-extracts were also identified by activity tests. Bioactivity guided fractionations of extracts were evaluated on A549, Beas-2b and Colo205 cell lines and were carried out on dichloromethane sub-extract (IC50 = 130 μg/mL on CoLo 205 cell line) of C. stenocephala and n-butanol sub-extract of C. davisiana. LC-MS/MS and NMR results revealed that the n-butanol sub-extract was found to be rich of with flavonoids and phenolics, dichloromethane sub-extract was found to be rich of with steroidal and triterpenic compounds.