Abstract

Azar Sadeghi49243, Fatemeh Moradian49244*, Farzaneh Sabouni49245 and Forough Sanjarian49246

Echinacea purpurea extract, one of the main compounds of which is caffeic acid, has anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic properties. In the present study, the anticancer effect of E. purpurea’s extract was investigated on the growth of gastric cancer cell line AGS, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell migration, tube formation and colony formation as well as the expression level of the VEGF-A gene. E. purpurea’s extract was extracted using a Soxhlet device and HPLC chromatography was used to confirm the presence of caffeic acid in the extract. The result showed that the cell viability percentage as well as the formation of colonies in AGS cancer cells after treatment of the plant extract were reduced in a dosedependent manner. The orange-red fluorescence after treatment was increased indicating the emergence of apoptosis. The assessment of the wound healing area showed no significant differences between 24 and 48 h compared to 0 h in the treatment groups (P>0.01). The expression level of the VEGF-A gene at a concentration of 2.0, 2.75, and 3.25 mg/mL of the plant extract was reduced by 0.91, 0.87, and 0.85 fold, respectively. Total tube length and number of branches in treatment groups were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. E. purpurea’s extract could effectively inhibit AGS gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, the formation of tubules, reduce VEGF-A expression and induce apoptosis.