Page 168 - SRPSKO DRUŠTVO ISTRAŽIVAČA RAKA

Serbian Association for Cancer Research SDIRSACR

conditions.
Conclusions: miR-219 overexpression reduces migration, growth, and Vimentin expression in GBM cells, while
increasing cell death under both sham and irradiated conditions. These results suggest that miR-219 may enhance
radiosensitivity and could serve as a potential therapeutic target in GBM.

Acknowledgments and funding: The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and
Innovation of the Republic of Serbia for the financial support.

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Teucrium extracts as promising sources of anticancer agents and bioactive phytochemicals

Kenan Preljević¹, Ivana Pašić², Ivana Z. Matić², Tatjana Stanojković², Milorad Vlaović¹ & Svetlana Perović¹

¹University of Montenegro, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology, Podgorica, Montenegro
²Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

Keywords: Key words: cytotoxicity, cell cycle, anticancer activity, plant extracts

Background: Traditional medicine indicates that plants of the genus Teucrium are rich in polyphenols, which are of
interest due to their potential anticancer properties. In this study, we focused on evaluating the cytotoxic activity
of two ethanolic extracts (T. montanum & T. capitatum), as well as their effects on cell cycle distribution. The plant
material was collected in Montenegro.
Material and methods: The cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀) of Teucrium extracts was evaluated on six human cell lines:
HeLa (cervical adenocarcinoma), MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinoma), A549 (lung carcinoma), A375 (malignant
melanoma), LS 174T (colorectal adenocarcinoma), and HaCaT (normal keratinocytes). The effects of the extracts on the
distribution of HeLa cells throughout the cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. Phytochemical composition (total
phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins) was quantified spectrophotometrically, while mineral content was measured
using ICP-MS and ICP-OES.
Results: Teucrium extracts had high concentrations of polyphenolic compounds. In terms of mineral content, the samples
were very rich in essential minerals, with T. montanum showing notably high levels of phosphorus, magnesium and
iron. These results highlight the nutritional and bioactive potential of both Teucrium species. Both extracts exhibited
low cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines, with the highest intensity observed on HeLa cells (IC₅₀ = 256.33 ± 10.31
µM for T. capitatum and IC₅₀ = 314.14 ± 20.83 µM for T. montanum). T. capitatum also showed activity against A549
(IC₅₀ = 238.37 ± 43.71 µM) and A375 (IC₅₀ = 224.99 ± 5.19 µM) cells, whereas T. montanum displayed lower cytotoxicity
against tested lines. LS 174T and MDA-MB-231 cells were resistant to both extracts. These results indicate that both
Teucrium species contain bioactive compounds warranting further studies on their anticancer mechanisms. Compared
to the control, T. montanum & T. capitatum increased the percentage of cells in subG1 phase and G2/M phases of the
cell cycle after 24 h and 48 h treatment.
Conclusion: The ethanolic extracts of T. capitatum and T. montanum exerted cytotoxic effects against various human
cancer cell lines and induced cell death of HeLa cells. They were also found to be rich in polyphenolic compounds,
highlighting their bioactive potential. Both species warrant further research to understand their anticancer effects.

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