Origanum majorana harvested from Al-Soda, Saudi Arabia promotes mitotic arrest and apoptosis in colon cancer cells

Colorectal cancer is reported as the third major incentive of cancer doom. The present work is meant to examine the anticancer potential of Origanum majorana leaf acetone extract (OMAE) to fight HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Biomolecules in OMAE were examined using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in OMAE was determined using an immunosobant assay. The cytotoxic effect of OMAE was tested by MTT assay. p53 gene expression level of OMAE-tread cells was measured using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Apoptotic and cell cycle arrest effects of OMAE on HT-29 were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results revealed the presence of many functional groups and considerable amount of ROS in the extract. The extract could raise p53 expression level five folds over control. OMAE arrested the HT-29 at G2/M phase. OMAE has an apoptotic effect rather than necrotic effects Our discoveries give solid proof that O. majorana acetone extract has a capacity to stop colon cancer activity, at least, through the enlistment of cell division arrest as well as apoptosis. These findings can suggest the use of OMAE as a natural therapeutic candidate against the colon cancer.