Lung cancer is one of the serious human health problems and many researchers have focused on identifying new therapeutic agents and effective therapies. Recently, herbal medicines have been used for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer. This research aimed to investigate the potential anti-tumoral activity and clarify the respective mechanisms of Anacyclus pyrethrum plant extract on the A549 lung cancer cell line.

To determine the cytotoxic effects of the Anacyclus pyrethrum extract on lung cancer cells, Trypan blue exclusion and MTT assay were performed. To show the induction of apoptosis by Anacyclus pyrethrum extract, flow cytometry assay was conducted. Quantitative real time PCR test was used to quantify the expressions of Bcl-2, Caspase-3, -8, and -9 genes, which are involved in apoptosis regulation. Also, cell cycle analysis was conducted by using flow cytometry.

The Anacyclus pyrethrum plant extract could significantly inhibit lung cancer cell (A549) proliferation. Flow cytometry assay demonstrated that Anacyclus pyrethrum induced apoptosis. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were significantly upregulated by Anacyclus pyrethrum treatment, while the Bcl-2 gene was downregulated. The flow cytometry confirmed that cell cycle arrest occurred at the G1 phase.

Our experiment showed that Anacyclus pyrethrum plant extract could considerably inhibit lung cancer cell growth by inducing of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Therefore, it may be a useful agent for lung cancer treatment.