Bioactive effects of Moringa oleifera extract on tongue carcinoma cells: Targeting apoptosis, cell cycle progression...

Moringa oleifera (MO), a plant utilized for a prolonged period in traditional herbal medicine, has recently attracted scientific interest in its many pharmacological traits and therapeutic benefits, particularly its potential anticancer properties. This study explores the effects of Moringa oleifera extract (MOE) on oral cancer specifically regarding cytotoxicity, anti-proliferative, apoptotic, autophagy and anti-migratory effects.

The tongue carcinoma cell line HNO-97 was treated with freshly prepared MOE. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, revealing decrease in cell viability with an IC₅₀ of 311.37 µg/mL. Gene expressions for Caspase-7, NFKB2, and Beclin-1 were measured. In parallel, phase contrast microscopic investigation was performed to assess the cellular morphological alterations. Additionally, the estimated capacities of MOE for apoptotic induction, cell cycle arrest and cell migration were assessed.

When MOE administrated, a noticeable time-dependent reduction in cell viability along with apoptotic consistent morphological characteristics was observed. Increased pre-G1 cell population and cycle arrest were found by flow cytometric analysis, whereas gene expression study showed that pro-survival NFKB2 gene was downregulated (p ≤ 0.05) while pro-apoptotic marker Caspase-7 and phagocytosis-promoting Beclin-1 gene were upregulated (p ≤ 0.001). Moreover, in the wound healing assay, a considerable decrease in migration of cancerous cells was noted.

Collectively, these findings suggest that MOE has potential anticancer characteristics highlighting it as a promising natural candidate for further investigation in oral cancer research.