Exploring the anticancer and apoptotic potential of Verbena officinalis L. extracts in combination with conventional chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer: A multifaceted in vitro study on PANC-1 cells

This study evaluated the anticancer and apoptotic potential of different Verbena officinalis (VO) extracts on human pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC-1 cells compared to normal HUVEC cells. We assessed the antioxidant capacity through total phenolic content (TPC) as milligrams of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram and DPPH radical scavenging assays. Our results showed that the aqueous VO extract exhibited a high TPC of 875.70 ± 0.75 mg GAE/g, while the methanol extract demonstrated the most effective DPPH scavenging with an IC50 60.65 ?g/mL. Cytotoxicity assays, both with VO alone and in combination with gemcitabine, revealed potent anticancer effects against PANC-1 cells (IC25-IC50 value: 25-37.40 ?g/mL) but no significant impact on normal HUVECs. Apoptosis analysis using flow cytometry indicated that VO with gemcitabine induced more significant apoptosis than either treatment alone. Furthermore, VO extracts modulated the expression of apoptotic genes, reducing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 levels while increasing pro-apoptotic Bax and Caspase-3 in PANC-1 cells, as confirmed by qRT-PCR. This study supports the potential of VO as an anticancer agent, offering insights into the mechanisms underlying its traditional medicinal applications. Further research could establish VO as an effective complementary natural therapy for pancreatic cancer.