Investigating Cytotoxic Effects of Juniperus Excelsa Extract on Esophageal Cancer Cell Line KYSE-30 and Normal Fibroblast Cell Line HU02

Background and objectives: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common type of cancer in the world. Considering the adverse effects of anticancer drugs and the emergence of chemotherapy resistance, plant-derived extracts and their constituents could be a valuable source of novel anticancer drugs. In this study, we investigated cytotoxic effects of Juniperus excelsa leaf extract on esophageal cancer cell line KYSE-30 and healthy fibroblast cells (HU02 cells). Methods: KYSE-30 cells and HU02 cells were cultured in DMEM medium. The cells were treated with different concentrations (1, 10, 100, 500 μg/ml) of the J. excelsa leaf extract for 24 and 48 hours. The cytotoxic effects of the extract were assessed using the MTT assay. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 19) and GraphPad Prism 5. Results: According to results of the MTT assay, the Juniperus excelsa’s leaf extract exerted significant cytotoxic effects on esophagus cancer cell line (KYSE-30) and healthy fibroblast cells (HU02) in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Conclusion: The J. excelsa leaf extract has cytotoxic effects against KYSE-30 esophageal cancer cells while causing lesser toxicity on healthy fibroblast cells. Our findings suggest that the potential anticancer effects of this extract should be further exploited in future studies