Sensitivity of Hematopoietic Malignant Cells to Peganum Harmala Seed Extract in Vitro

Peganum harmala is a medicinal plant that has been used for treatment of numerous diseases including viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. Anti-proliferative and anti-tumor effects of Peganum harmala extracts and its derivatives have been reported. In the present study, cytotoxic effect of Peganum harmala seeds aquaous extract on leukemic U937 and Molt-4 cells was evaluated in vitro. U937 and Molt-4 cells were cultured in RPMI with 10% FBS. Then, the cells at logarithmic growth phase were incubated with different concentrations of aquaous extract of Peganum harmala seeds (0.1-5 mg/ml) for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Then, viability and proliferative response of leukemic cell lines was evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion (TB) and MTT assays, respectively. Peganum harmala aquaous extract has a cytotoxic effect on leukemic cells used in this study, dose and time-dependently. This cytotoxicity was shown at ≥ 0.5 mg/ml after 24 hours and at ≥ 0.1 mg/ml after 48 and 72 hours incubation time. The Peganum harmala seeds aqueous extract cytotoxicity at > 0.2 mg/ml concentration was significantly increased with time in this order: 72 h>48 h>24 h. The leukemic cells used in this study showed sensitivity to Peganum harmala seeds aquaous extract dose and time dependently. This sensitivity significantly increased with time at > 0.2 mg/ml concentration. Peganum harmala seeds aquaous extract shows cytotoxicity for leukemic cells and might be a valuable natural candidate in development of innovative therapeutic procedures for leukemia and probably other cancers.