Deciphering the effect of Potentilla fulgens root extract against healthy HUVEC cell line and cancer cell lines (A549 and SKOV-3)

[Display omitted] Potentilla fulgens, a highly valued indigenous medicinal herb grown in high altitudes of the Himalayan region with anticancer, hypoglycaemic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiulcerogenic properties, are used in traditional systems of medicine. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of P. fulgens root extract, as one of the natural alternatives to chemotherapeutic drugs used in cancer treatment, on proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy of human non-small cell lung cancer cell line (A549), human ovarian cancer cell line (SKOV-3), and healthy human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUVEC). Anti-proliferative effect was assessed by MTT assay. The expression of autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins was evaluated by western blotting. Total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) test were determined using standard kit methods. Our results showed that the extract inhibited proliferation of HUVEC, A549, and SKOV-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner. MTT assay analysis revealed that the extract significantly (P