Investigating the effect of carnosic acid on VEGF gene expression and lipid peroxidation in cervical cancer cell lines

Carnosic acid is a triterpene natural polyphenol found in various plant extracts, mostly in rosemary, displaying various types of bioactivities. The present paper was conducted to explore the anticancer activity of carnosic acid on the HeLa cervical carcinoma cell line and to analyze the possible mechanisms involved in the activity. The cytotoxicity of carnosic acid against HeLa cells was examined in this experiment using the MTT assay. Real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression level of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene, a potent mediator in the pathogenesis of angiogenesis. Further, a lipid peroxidation assay was conducted to investigate how carnosic acid acts in the modulation of oxidative stress levels as represented by the amount of malondialdehyde expressed. In the MTT assay, carnosic acid exhibited an IC50 value of 9.85 µM in HeLa cells, reflecting a moderate cytotoxic potency. Real-time PCR analysis showed a significant 50% decrease in VEGF gene expression following carnosic acid treatment, suggests that that the cancer cells' angiogenic signaling may be modulated. Furthermore, the lipid peroxidation assay demonstrated a significant reduction in MDA levels in cells treated with carnosic acid (47.2 nmol/ml) compared to untreated controls (66.06 nmol/ml), indicating modulation antioxidant properties and a protective effect against oxidative stress. This study contributes to the anticancer potential of carnosic acid on HeLa cervical cancer cells, which seems to manifest through a complex strategy that encompasses direct cytotoxic effects, inhibition of the crucial angiogenic factor, and redox regulation within cancer cells.