Protective effects of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus STAPF) extract mediated mitochondrial fission and glucose uptake inhibition in SW1417

Abstract This study investigated the anticarcinogenic effect of lemongrass extract on human SW1417 colon cancer cells. SW1417 cells were cultured and allocated into five groups to apply the treatment with the lemongrass extract using 5 separate fluctuated concentrations: 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 μg/mL for 24 h. The mRNA expressions of the oxidative pressure genes (HO-1 and NQO1) were measured using the RT-PCR technique. Additionally, mitochondrial morphology was evaluated using Biotium (100 nM MitoView™ 405-Blue) within a free culture. The antitumor activity value (IC50) in SW1417 cells was done at 150 µg/mL. Besides, the changes of mitochondrial morphology in the treated SW1417 cells at all the concentrations of lemongrass extract were markedly observed as mitochondrial fission, which increased with increasing the concentrations and led to an apoptotic effect. For more validation, mRNA levels of the oxidative pressure genes HO-1 and NQO1 were confirmed the obtained data, HO-1 and NQO1 genes expressions recorded significant (P < 0.05) increase which associated with increasing the concentrations of lemongrass extract standardized to β-actin housekeeping gene and contrasted to untreated cells (0 μg/mL). In conclusion, our findings indicate that lemongrass extract provided an anticarcinogenic action against the cell proliferation of human colon cancer cells.