The layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets decrease anticancer potential of Satureja khuzestanica in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most invasive cancers and is the third cause cancer death. Due to side effects and high cost of chemotherapeutic drugs as well as increased drug resistance, plant products and natural compounds have attracted the interest of studies as an appropriate anticancer agent. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the anti-cancer activity of Satureja khuzestanica phenol-chloroform extraction in combination layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets as a combination therapy strategy on HCC cell line HepG2. The phenol-chloroform extraction was prepared from fresh leaves of S. khuzestanica. The anti-cancer activity of S. khuzestanica phenol-chloroform extraction alone and by co-administration of LDH nanosheets were investigated on HCC cell line and normal human fibroblast cells using tetrazolium-based MTT assay. Moreover, apoptosis rate and mRNA expression of the anti-apoptotic (BCL2) and pro-apoptotic (BAX) genes in the treated cancer cells using Flowcytometry and Real-Time PCR method, respectively. Our study revealed that the phenol-chloroform extraction of S. khuzestanica decreased viability and proliferation of the cancer cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. However, use of LDH nanosheets cause to decrease the anticancer activity of S. khuzestanica against the cancer cells. Moreover, treatment of cancer cells by S. khuzestanica extraction cause to increase apoptosis rate and expression of BAX gene mRNA as well as decrease BCL2 gene mRNA expression. Generally, we demonstrated a significant anti-cancer effects of S. khuzestanica phenol-chloroform extraction against HCC cell line HepG2 through regulation of apoptosis-related genes expression and direct cells to apoptosis. However, the LDH nanosheets decrease anticancer potential of S. khuzestanica in the cancer cells. [Display omitted] •We investigated anticancer effects of alone and by co-administration of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets against of hepatocellular cancer cells.•S. khuzestanica decreased viability and proliferation of the cancer cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.•LDH nanosheets cause to decrease the anticancer activity of S. khuzestanica against hepatocellular cancer cells.•S. khuzestanica induced apoptosis through upregulation of BAX gene as well as downregulation of BCL2 gene.