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Melissa officinalis is a plant from the family Lamiaceae, native in Europe particularly in the Mediterranean
region. Given our interest in identifying extracts and compounds capable of inhibiting tumor cell growth,
and given the antioxidant content and the high consumption of Melissa officinalis in Portugal, this study
aimed to test the tumor cell growth inhibitory activity of five different extracts of this plant (aqueous,
methanolic, ethanolic, hydromethanolic and hydroethanolic) in three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7,
AGS and NCI-H460. All extracts decreased cell growth in all cell lines in a concentration-dependent
manner. The ethanolic extract was the most potent one, presenting a GI50 concentration of approximately
100.9 μg mL−1 in the NCI-H460 lung cancer cells. This extract was characterized by LC-DAD-ESI/MS
regarding its phenolic composition, revealing rosmarinic acid as the most abundant compound. The GI75
concentration of this extract affected the cell cycle profile of these cells. In addition, both the GI50 and
the GI75 concentrations of the extract induced cellular apoptosis. Moreover, treatment of NCI-H460 cells
with this extract caused a decrease in pro-caspase 3 and an increase in p53 levels. This study emphasizes
the relevance of the study of natural products as inhibitors of tumor cell growth.
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Citação
Magalhães, D. B.; Castro, I.; Lopes-Rodrigues, V.; Pereira, J. M.; Barros, L.; Ferreira, I. C.F.R.; Xavier, C. P.R.; Vasconcelos, M. H. (2018). Melissa officinalis L. ethanolic extract inhibits the growth of a lung cancer cell line by interfering with the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. Food and Function. ISSN 2042-6496. 9, p. 3134-3142