Guaiazulene biochemical activity and cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on rat neuron and N2a neuroblastom cells

Aim: Neuroblastoma (NB)cells are often used in Cancer researches such as glioblastoma cells since they have the potential of high mitotic activity, nuclear pleomorphism, and tumor necrosis. Guaiazulene (GYZ 1,4-dimethyl-7-isopropylazulene)is present in several essential oils of medicinal and aromatic Plants. Many studies have reported the cytotoxic effect of GYZ; however, there are no studies that compare such effects between Cancer cell lines and normal human cells after treatment with GYZ.

Materials and methods: In this study, we aimed to describe in vitro antiproliferative and/or cytotoxic properties (by 3-[4,5 dimetylthiazol -2-yl]-2,5 diphenlytetrazolium bromide [MTT] test), oxidative effects (by total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and total oxidative stress [TOS] analysis)and genotoxic damage potentials (by single cell gel electrophoresis)of GYZ.

Result: The results indicated that GYZ have anti-proliferative activity suppressing the proliferation of neuron and N2a-NB cells at high doses. In addition, GYZ treatments at higher doses led to decreases of TAC levels and increases of TOS levels in neuron and N2a-NB cells. On the Other hand, the mean values of the total scores of cells showing DNA damage were not found different from the control values.

Conclusion: From this study, it is observed that GYZ has in vitro cytotoxic activity against neuron and N2a-NB cells.