ORIGANUM LAEVIGATUM BOISS GROWING IN KAHRAMANMARAŞ INVESTIGATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITIES OF PLANT IN VITRO

Abstract

In this study, Origanum laevigatum Boiss. Plant extracts were obtained by using methanol from the sun-facing parts of the plant (flower, leaf, and branch), and the antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties of these extracts were investigated.

In the study, the antimicrobial properties of the extracts on a total of 6 bacterial strains, three-gram negative (Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella infantis) and three gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923)) were investigated via agar well diffusion method.

In order to determine the anti-cancer activity, extracts of varying concentrations were applied to MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 breast cancer) and HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) cell lines, and cell viability was determined by the MTS method. Through the calculations made with the GraphPad Prism program, the IC50 values of the relevant methanol extracts on the cells were determined.

As a result, Origanum laevigatum Boiss. plant appeared to be highly effective only on Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) bacterial strain, while it has been observed to be less effective on the development of Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella infantis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli bacteria. In addition, the IC50 of the extract on MCF7 cells was determined as 0.1279 (mg mL^-1), while the IC50 value calculated for HUVEC was calculated as 1.670 (mg mL^-1), and the difference between these two values was statistically significant (p<0.05). Judging by these findings, We can say that the antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract of Origanum laevigatum Boiss. may be quite limited, but promising results have been obtained regarding its anti-cancer properties.