Investigation of Chemical Composition of Helichrysum artemisioides Essential Oil, and its Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Effects on Colon Cancer Cell Line and Analysis of Apoptotic Gene Expression Using PCR Method

Background and Objectives: Helichrysum artemisioides is one of the endemic medicinal plants in Iran. The aim of this research was to identify the chemical composition of H. artemisioides essential oil and its antibacterial and cytotoxic effects on colon cancer cell line (HT29). &nbsp; Methods: In this study, the essential oil of H. artemisioides was collected by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus. Chemical composition of essential oil was identified using a GC-MS device. Subsequently, antibacterial effect of the essential oil on pathogenic bacteria and its cytotoxic activity on colon cancer cell line (HT29), were determined using MIC and MTT methods, respectively. The expression of Bax and Bcl2 apoptotic genes in HT29 cell line, was assessed using real time PCR method. &nbsp; Results: GC-MS analysis of essential oil of the plant showed 55 compounds, most of which belonged to Carvacrol (12.5%) and 1R-&alpha;-Pinene (12.5%). Furthermore, the essential oil of this plant had the highest effect on Gram-positive bacteria and the least effect on gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the essential oil of this plant had IC50=31.54mg/ml on HT29 cell line. Results of real time PCR showed increase in expression level of Bax gene and decrease in expression level of Bcl2, respectively, 2.9 &plusmn; 0.2 (p<0.05) and 0.2&plusmn;0.7 (p