<i>Lippia citriodora</i> Essential Oils Induce Cytotoxicity and Modify Transcription Levels of <i>Bcl-2</i> , <i>Bax</i> , <i>p53</i> , and <i>c-Jun</i> Genes in Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract

In recent years, essential oils have attracted wide attention because of their extensive applications in biomedical products, pharmaceutical preparations, and treating various human diseases, particularly for cancer therapy and as an option to find novel chemical entities as promising anticancer drugs. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of Lippia citriodora essential oils on human breast cancer cells (MCF‐7) and investigated their potential mechanism of action, focusing on apoptosis/necrosis induction and the modulation of p53 , Bcl-2/Bax , and c-Jun gene transcription. The cytotoxic activity was assessed on MCF‐7 breast adenocarcinoma cells using the MTT assay. Apoptotic effects were further examined through DNA fragmentation analysis and Annexin V–biotin streptavidin FITC/propidium iodide staining. In addition, changes in the relative mRNA expression levels of p53 , Bcl-2 , Bax , and c-Jun genes were analyzed using RT‐qPCR. The results revealed a potent dose‐dependent cytotoxic effect of the essential oil on MCF‐7 cells, with IC 50 values ranging from 34.72 to 70.75 μg/mL. Furthermore, essential oil–treated MCF‐7 cells exhibited characteristics of late apoptosis and necrosis. Gene expression analysis showed a significant upregulation of Bax , Bcl-2 , p53 , and c-Jun transcripts 12 h posttreatment. Overall, these findings suggest that the essential oil induces cell death primarily through necrosis and late apoptosis, potentially by targeting cellular DNA and upregulating key apoptosis‐related genes.