Determination of Medicago orbicularis Antioxidant, Antihemolytic, and Anti-Cancerous Activities and Its Augmentation of Cisplatin-Induced Cytotoxicity in A549 Lung Cancer Cells

<p dir="ltr">The anti-lung cancer properties of the plant <i>Medicago orbicularis</i> have not been explored yet. Therefore, we identified its phytochemical composition and investigated the antioxidant, anti-hemolytic, and anti-cancerous properties of extracts of this plant in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The results show that all parts of <i>M. orbicularis</i> (stems, leaves, and fruits) exhibit remarkable hemolytic activities and modest antioxidant capacity. In addition, all extracts showed a dose-dependent anti-cancerous cytotoxic activity against A549 cells, with fruit extracts being the most potent. This cytotoxic effect could be related, at least partly, to the induction of apoptosis, where <i>M. orbicularis</i> fruit extracts reduced the ratio of anti-apoptotic BCL-2/pro-apoptotic BAX, thereby promoting cellular death. Furthermore, the use of <i>M. orbicularis</i>, in combination with a conventional chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin, was assessed. Indeed, the combination of cisplatin and <i>M. orbicularis</i> fruit extracts was more cytotoxic and induced more aggregation of A549 cells than either treatment alone. GC-MS analysis and total polyphenol and flavonoid content determination indicated that <i>M. orbicularis</i> is rich in compounds that have anti-cancerous effects. We propose <i>M. orbicularis</i> as a potential source of anti-cancerous agents to manage the progression of lung cancer and its resistance to therapy.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Plants<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030442" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030442</a></p>