Comparing cytotoxicity of parthenolide, melphalan, and procarbazine in colon adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Colon adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma are among the most prevalent cancers in Iran. Since chemotherapy resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of these malignancies, it is necessary to introduce novel and more effective anticancer regimens. The purpose of this study was to compare cytotoxicity of parthenolide, a sesquiterpene lactone, with alkylating agents melphalan and procarbazine. To compare toxic effects of parthenolide, melphalan and procarbazine, human colon adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were used. The viability of HT29 and HepG2 cells was evaluated by MTT assay 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment, and cells were checked for morphological alterations by the end of each time point. The IC50 values of parthenolide and melphalan in HT29 cells were determined as 8.5 and 160 mg/mL, respectively, while the highest concentration of procarbazine reduced cell viability by only 5%. In addition, the IC50 values of parthenolide and melphalan in HepG2 cells calculated as 15 and 80 mg/mL, respectively, while 160 mg/mL procarbazine reduced cell viability by 11%. To note, morphological changes confirmed MTT results in both cell lines. Findings of the current study indicated that parthenolide induced more cytotoxic effects in comparison with alkylating drugs. Since this terpenoid derivative effectively reduced the viability of HT29 and HepG2 cells, it could be considered as a potent agent to design new chemotherapy regimens against colon and liver cancers