Anti-leukemic activity of Satureja bachtiarica occurs by apoptosis in human cells.

Failure of apoptosis contributes to leukemia progression. We investigated extracts of a native Iranian plant, Satureja bachtiarica, for possible anti-leukemia activity by induction of apoptosis and changes to the cell cycle. Growth inhibition caused by aqueous, butanol, dichloromethane and hexane extracts of S. bachtiarica on K562 and Jurkat leukemia cells was assessed using a colorimetric assay. Extracts were analyzed for induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest using flow cytometry and measurement of caspase-3 activity. Dichloromethane and hexane extracts inhibited leukemia cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 values of these extracts were 22-33 µg/ml. Flow cytometric determination of annexinV/propidium iodide positive cells verified a significantly increased percentage of apoptotic cells compared to negative controls. Both 50 µg/ml dichloromethane and hexane extracts induced apoptosis in 89-97% of K562 and 94-97% of Jurkat cells 48 h after treatment. The effects of extracts on the cell cycle included significantly increased numbers of K562 and Jurkat cells in the subG1 phase and decreased numbers of cells in the G1, S and G2/M phases. After 24 h, we found increased levels of caspase-3 activation in cells treated with 25 µg/ml dichloromethane and hexane extracts compared to untreated cells. Our findings indicate the anti-leukemic effects of dichloromethane and hexane extracts of S. bachtiarica due to induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell cycle progression.

Satureja hortensis induces cell death and inhibited cell cycle progression in K562 myelogenous and Jurkat T cell leukemia cell lines.

Several plants of Satureja genus have shown anti-tumor activity. We investigated the antileukemia effects of different fractions of Satureja hortensis (Summer savory). The growth inhibitory effect of S. hortensis fractions on K562 and Jurkat leukemia cells were determined by MTT assay. The most effective fractions were analyzed by flow cytometry and colorimetric assay for apoptosis induction and cell cycle changes. Various fractions from S. hortensis showed growth inhibitory effects on leukemia cells, among them two hexane and dichloromethane fractions with IC50 values of 32.1-47.8 µg/ml (K562) and 44.3-45.7 µg/ml (Jurkat) were the most effective. According to annexin V staining, both of these fractions significantly induced apoptosis at 50µg/ml in K562 (hexane; 73.06 ± 5.11% and dichloromethane; 96.14 ± 2.33%) and Jurkat cells (hexane; 78.85 ± 11.9% and dichloromethane; 94.05 ± 2.47%) 48 h after treatment. They increased cell accumulation in sub-G1 phase (>50%, p < .001) and decreased number of cells in G0-G1, S and G2M phases. The fractions significantly increased the caspase-3 activity in both cell lines (≈2.5-3.5 fold of untreated cells). Hexane and dichloromethane fractions of S. hortensis had the capacity to induce death and change the cell cycle distribution in leukemia cells; therefore they might be good candidates for more studies in regard to their possible therapeutic usefulness in leukemia.