Evaluation of the Antiproliferative Effect of Extract from Equisetum arvense L. on Hepatocellular Carcinoma SNU-449 Cells

Equisetum arvense L. (Horsetail) extract (HTE) has been used traditionally in the treatment of various ailments. However, its potential as an anticancer agent, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is still not well understood. The objective of this study is to investigate the anticancer potential of HTE in the SNU449 HCC cells. To assess the antiproliferative and migratory properties of HTE on HCC, a cell viability was analyzed at 24 and 48nd hours using seven different concentrations of HTE (ranging from 7.81 to 500 ppm). The lowest concentration that effectively affected cell viability was determined, and subsequent experiments were carried out using this dose at the 24-hour mark. The MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and Western blotting assays to measure CASP-3 and Cleaved CASP-3 expressions were also included in the analysis. The MTT assay identified 326 ppm as the minimum effective dose at the 24-hour time point. Colony formation assays showed a notable difference between treated and untreated cells, with a surviving fraction of 46.9% in HTE-treated cells. The wound healing assay indicated that HTE-treated cells exhibited a 43.4% wound closure rate after 24 hours. Western blot analysis revealed the normalized volume ratios for Caspase-3 were 53222328 in the treated cells, and 7948593 in the control, while for Cleaved Caspase-3, the ratios were 707454 in treated cells and 596409 in control cells. The results suggest that HTE has antiproliferative and migratory properties on SNU-449 HCC cells. Further investigations are required to understand the underlying mechanisms of these effects.