comparison of anticancer activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of curcuma longa l., peganum harmala l., and boswellia serrata on hela cells

Background: cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. several native iranian herbs used in traditional medicine are proven to have cytotoxic effects. objectives: the present study was designed to compare the anticancer effects of three medicinal herbs, peganum harmala l., curcuma longa l., and boswellia serrata, on a cervical cancer cell line (hela). methods: hela cells were exposed to different doses of hydroalcoholic extracts of the three plants (12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml) for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. after the incubation period, the modified colorimetric mtt assay was used to determine cytotoxicity. results: the highest percentage of cell death for p. harmala was observed after 72 hours of incubation, and 50% growth inhibitory concentration (ic50) at 24 hours was 12.5 µg/ml. for b. serrata, the highest percentage of cell death was observed after 72 hours of incubation; ic50 at 24 and 48 hours were 50 µg/ml and 12.5 µg/ml, respectively. c. longa l. had an ic50 of 12.5 µg/ml after 72 hours of incubation. conclusions: the results of the mtt assay showed that b. serrata and p. harmala l. extracts had time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects. however, c. longa l. extracts induced apoptosis only in a time-dependent manner. a higher cytotoxic effect was observed on hela cells with p. harmala and b. serrata extracts compared to c. longa extract at all applied concentrations.