Anti-Cancer Effects of Water Extract of Thymbra Capitata (L.) Cav. Plant on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y Cell Lines
Abstract
Traditional medical practices have emerged as the sum of experiential accumulations from the past to the present and are increasingly used today for the purpose of protection from and treatment of diseases. The therapeutic effects of herbal medicines, which form the basis of traditional medical practices, in the treatment of many diseases, especially cancer, have been known since ancient times. Herbal medicines, since they are obtained from natural sources, are considered reliable and healthy, and recently, the interest in herbal medicines has increased even more. Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. is a plant that grows in the Mediterranean region, is edible, belongs to the class of medicinal plants and has therapeutic properties against many diseases. T. capitata plant has high antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties. In our study, the possible anti-cancer effects of the water extract of T. capitata plant on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cancer cell lines were determined by the MTT method. As a result of the experimental data obtained, it was determined that the water extract of T. capitata (plant caused a decrease in the percentage of viability of MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cancer cells, and thus, the water extract of T. capitata plant had anti-cancer effects on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cells.
References
- Akkaya, B., Kapancık, S., Akkaya, R., & Sarıaydın, N. (2024). Synthesis and characterization of magnetic stearic acid modified sulfated alginate and investigation of the cytotoxicity and apoptosis in MCF-7 cell line. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 32 (12), 6461-6475.
- Alves-Silva, J. M., Pedreiro, S., Cavaleiro, C., Cruz, M. T., Figueirinha, A., & Salgueiro, L. (2023). Effect of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. on inflammation, senescence and cell migration. Nutrients, 15 (8), 1930.
- Bouyahya, A., Chamkhi, I., Guaouguaou, F. E., Benali, T., Balahbib, A., El Omari, N., ... & El Menyiy, N. (2020). Ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and food benefits of Thymus capitatus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 259, 112925.
- Che, C. T., George, V., Ijinu, T. P., Pushpangadan, P., & Andrae-Marobela, K. (2024). Traditional medicine. In Pharmacognosy (pp. 11-28). Academic Press.
- Delgado-Adámez, J., Garrido, M., Bote, M. E., Fuentes-Pérez, M. C., Espino, J., & Martín-Vertedor, D. (2017). Chemical composition and bioactivity of essential oils from flower and fruit of Thymbra capitata and Thymus species. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54, 1857-1865.
- Hepokur, C., Misir, S., Tunç, T., Tutar, U., Hepokur, A. I., & Çiçek, M. (2020). In vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic activities, and wound healing potential of Thymbra capitata ethanolic extract. Turkish Journal of Biochemistry, 45 (6), 843-849.
- Houghton, P. J. (1995). The role of plants in traditional medicine and current therapy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 1 (2), 131-143.
- Imtara, H., Abujaber, F., Siouri, F., Tumeh, A., & Saad, B. (2025). Chemical composition, antioxidant and anticancer activities of Thymus capitatus essential oil: experimental and computational approaches. Phyton, 94 (3), 723-737.
- Kapancık, S., Çelik, M. S., Demiralp, M., Ünal, K., Çetinkaya, S., & Tüzün, B. (2024). Chemical composition, cytotoxicity, and molecular docking analyses of Thuja orientalis extracts. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1318, 139279.
- Li, F. S., & Weng, J. K. (2017). Demystifying traditional herbal medicine with modern approach. Nature plants, 3 (8), 1-7.
- Llorent-Martínez, E. J., Ruiz-Medina, A., Zengin, G., Ak, G., Jugreet, S., Mahomoodally, M. F., ... & Chiavaroli, A. (2022). New Biological and chemical evidences of two Lamiaceae species (Thymbra capitata and Thymus sipyleus subsp. rosulans): In vitro, in silico and ex vivo approaches. Molecules, 27 (24), 9029.
- Miguel, M. G., Gago, C., Antunes, M. D., Megías, C., Cortés-Giraldo, I., Vioque, J., ... & Figueiredo, A. C. (2015). Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of the essential oils from Thymbra capitata and Thymus species grown in Portugal. Evidence‐Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 851721.
- Pasa, C. (2022). Use of Thymbra species spreading in the Flora of Turkey for medicinal purposes. Research in Medical & Engineering Sciences, 9, 1028-1030.
- Poças, J., Lemos, M. F., Cabral, C., Salgueiro, L., & Pires, I. M. (2014). Anticancer properties of Thymbra capitata and Helichrysum italicum essential oils. In Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR| International Meeting on Marine Research.
- Saija, A., Speciale, A., Trombetta, D., Leto, C., Tuttolomondo, T., La Bella, S., ... & Ruberto, G. (2016). Phytochemical, ecological and antioxidant evaluation of wild Sicilian thyme: Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. Chemistry and Biodiversity, 13 (12), 1641-1655.
- Saoulajan, C., Boujida, N., El Mihyaoui, A., El Baakili, A., Alshahrani, M. M., Lee, L. H., & Bouyahya, A. (2022). Phytochemistry, pharmacological investigations, industrial applications, and encapsulation of Thymbra capitata L., a review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 129, 463-491.
- Tüzün, B. (2025). Evaluation of cytotoxicity, chemical composition, antioxidant potential, apoptosis relationship, molecular docking, and MM-GBSA analysis of Rumex crispus leaf extracts. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1323, 140791.
- van Wyk, A. S., & Prinsloo, G. (2020). Health, safety and quality concerns of plant-based traditional medicines and herbal remedies. South African Journal of Botany, 133, 54-62.
Anti-Cancer Effects of Water Extract of Thymbra Capitata (L.) Cav. Plant on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y Cell Lines
Abstract
Traditional medical practices have emerged as the sum of experiential accumulations from the past to the present and are increasingly used today for the purpose of protection from and treatment of diseases. The therapeutic effects of herbal medicines, which form the basis of traditional medical practices, in the treatment of many diseases, especially cancer, have been known since ancient times. Herbal medicines, since they are obtained from natural sources, are considered reliable and healthy, and recently, the interest in herbal medicines has increased even more. Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. is a plant that grows in the Mediterranean region, is edible, belongs to the class of medicinal plants and has therapeutic properties against many diseases. T. capitata plant has high antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties. In our study, the possible anti-cancer effects of the water extract of T. capitata plant on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cancer cell lines were determined by the MTT method. As a result of the experimental data obtained, it was determined that the water extract of T. capitata (plant caused a decrease in the percentage of viability of MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cancer cells, and thus, the water extract of T. capitata plant had anti-cancer effects on MCF-7 and SH-SY5Y cells.
References
- Akkaya, B., Kapancık, S., Akkaya, R., & Sarıaydın, N. (2024). Synthesis and characterization of magnetic stearic acid modified sulfated alginate and investigation of the cytotoxicity and apoptosis in MCF-7 cell line. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 32 (12), 6461-6475.
- Alves-Silva, J. M., Pedreiro, S., Cavaleiro, C., Cruz, M. T., Figueirinha, A., & Salgueiro, L. (2023). Effect of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. on inflammation, senescence and cell migration. Nutrients, 15 (8), 1930.
- Bouyahya, A., Chamkhi, I., Guaouguaou, F. E., Benali, T., Balahbib, A., El Omari, N., ... & El Menyiy, N. (2020). Ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and food benefits of Thymus capitatus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 259, 112925.
- Che, C. T., George, V., Ijinu, T. P., Pushpangadan, P., & Andrae-Marobela, K. (2024). Traditional medicine. In Pharmacognosy (pp. 11-28). Academic Press.
- Delgado-Adámez, J., Garrido, M., Bote, M. E., Fuentes-Pérez, M. C., Espino, J., & Martín-Vertedor, D. (2017). Chemical composition and bioactivity of essential oils from flower and fruit of Thymbra capitata and Thymus species. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54, 1857-1865.
- Hepokur, C., Misir, S., Tunç, T., Tutar, U., Hepokur, A. I., & Çiçek, M. (2020). In vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic activities, and wound healing potential of Thymbra capitata ethanolic extract. Turkish Journal of Biochemistry, 45 (6), 843-849.
- Houghton, P. J. (1995). The role of plants in traditional medicine and current therapy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 1 (2), 131-143.
- Imtara, H., Abujaber, F., Siouri, F., Tumeh, A., & Saad, B. (2025). Chemical composition, antioxidant and anticancer activities of Thymus capitatus essential oil: experimental and computational approaches. Phyton, 94 (3), 723-737.
- Kapancık, S., Çelik, M. S., Demiralp, M., Ünal, K., Çetinkaya, S., & Tüzün, B. (2024). Chemical composition, cytotoxicity, and molecular docking analyses of Thuja orientalis extracts. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1318, 139279.
- Li, F. S., & Weng, J. K. (2017). Demystifying traditional herbal medicine with modern approach. Nature plants, 3 (8), 1-7.
- Llorent-Martínez, E. J., Ruiz-Medina, A., Zengin, G., Ak, G., Jugreet, S., Mahomoodally, M. F., ... & Chiavaroli, A. (2022). New Biological and chemical evidences of two Lamiaceae species (Thymbra capitata and Thymus sipyleus subsp. rosulans): In vitro, in silico and ex vivo approaches. Molecules, 27 (24), 9029.
- Miguel, M. G., Gago, C., Antunes, M. D., Megías, C., Cortés-Giraldo, I., Vioque, J., ... & Figueiredo, A. C. (2015). Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of the essential oils from Thymbra capitata and Thymus species grown in Portugal. Evidence‐Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 851721.
- Pasa, C. (2022). Use of Thymbra species spreading in the Flora of Turkey for medicinal purposes. Research in Medical & Engineering Sciences, 9, 1028-1030.
- Poças, J., Lemos, M. F., Cabral, C., Salgueiro, L., & Pires, I. M. (2014). Anticancer properties of Thymbra capitata and Helichrysum italicum essential oils. In Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR| International Meeting on Marine Research.
- Saija, A., Speciale, A., Trombetta, D., Leto, C., Tuttolomondo, T., La Bella, S., ... & Ruberto, G. (2016). Phytochemical, ecological and antioxidant evaluation of wild Sicilian thyme: Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. Chemistry and Biodiversity, 13 (12), 1641-1655.
- Saoulajan, C., Boujida, N., El Mihyaoui, A., El Baakili, A., Alshahrani, M. M., Lee, L. H., & Bouyahya, A. (2022). Phytochemistry, pharmacological investigations, industrial applications, and encapsulation of Thymbra capitata L., a review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 129, 463-491.
- Tüzün, B. (2025). Evaluation of cytotoxicity, chemical composition, antioxidant potential, apoptosis relationship, molecular docking, and MM-GBSA analysis of Rumex crispus leaf extracts. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1323, 140791.
- van Wyk, A. S., & Prinsloo, G. (2020). Health, safety and quality concerns of plant-based traditional medicines and herbal remedies. South African Journal of Botany, 133, 54-62.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Medicinal Plants |
| Journal Section | Research articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | May 10, 2025 |
| Publication Date | May 30, 2025 |
| Submission Date | April 18, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | May 6, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 9 Issue: 1 |
Works published in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License