Abstract

Ex situ conservation of Bulgarian endemic species Achillea thracica offers a chance for development of a new antitumor drug. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of water extracts of ex vitro established A. thracica grown in Bulgaria against fibrosarcoma cells. Our preliminary study determined the cytotoxicity of hot and cold water extracts using Triticum root elongation test and Allium cepa assay. In vitro cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic activity of hot extract (HE) were estimated using HT1080 cell line fibrosarcoma cells. The change in the cell number, the cell viability, and the cell population growth determined cytotoxicity. The pro-apoptotic activity was assessed by the score of cell nuclei with morphological changes. The result of the root elongation test showed that the HEs exerted a stronger inhibitory effect than the cold extracts (CEs). Respectively, the EC50 value of the hot water extract is 9.85 g/l and of the CE – 12.71 g/l. The extracts tested at a concentration equal to ½ ??50 and EC50 values showed a significant mitodepressive effect on A. cepa meristematic cells. The in vitro tests revealed a significant negative impact on cancer cell viability and a promising pro-apoptotic activity of hot water extract.

Key words: Achillea thracica Velen., secondary metabolites, in vitro cytotoxicity, pro-apoptotic activity