Effects of carvacrol on a human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, A549

Abstract

Carvacrol, the predominant monoterpene in many essential oils of Labitae including Origanum, Satureja, Thymbra, Thymus, and Corydothymus has substantial antibacterial, anti fungal, antihelmintic, insecticial, analgesic and antioxidant activities. In this study a human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, A549 was used. Approximately 75% of lung cancer is non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) which comprises several histologic types: squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. It was reported that the proportion of lung tumors diagnosed as adenocarcinoma has increased. For this reason A549 cell line was chosen for this study. To investigate the effects of carvacrol on cell morphology, apoptosis and total protein amount, the cells were incubated with various concentration of carvacrol in DMSO for 24 hours. In carvacrol applied A549 cell line, increase in dose of carvacrol caused a decrease in cell number, degeneration of cell morphology and a decrease in total protein amount. To characterize carvacrol induced changes in cell morphology, cells were examined by light microscopy. Cells were treated with carvacrol were seen to have detached from the disk, with cell rounding, cytoplasmic blebbing and irregularity in shape. The data demonstrate that carvacrol is very potent inhibitor of cell growth in A549 cell line.