Terpinen-4-ol induces apoptosis and antiproliferation in glioblastoma cells via modulation of p53 and VEGF

Glioblastoma is an invasive tumor arising from astrocytes of brain. It has devastating effects and poor prognosis. It tends to be malignant and aggressive with distinct histopathological features. Many therapies including surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are in practice to treat cancer, but it is associated with a lot of adverse side effects. Terpenen-4-ol is a monoterpene derivative of essential oil which has several anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and antifungal activities, and is safe as compared to other treatment options available. In this study, we observed anticancer effects of terpinen-4-ol against glioblastoma cell line, cell viability in all groups of cells evaluated via MTT, morphology, and ELISA of p53 for the estimation of apoptosis, VEGF for the evaluation of angiogenesis, and antioxidant assay. The results demonstrated the anticancer effects of terpinen-4-ol against the glioblastoma SF767 cell line, showing reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis via p53 activation, decreased angiogenesis through VEGF inhibition, and enhanced antioxidant activity with decreased glutathione levels. The current study demonstrated that terpinen-4-ol treatment can cause apoptosis in SF767 glioblastoma cells via maintaining p53 and VEGF expression.