Botanica Serbica 2023 Volume 47, Issue 1, Pages: 1-8
https://doi.org/10.2298/BOTSERB2301001M
Full text ( 303 KB)
Cited by


Persicaria amphibia, an old traditional remedy and wild edible herb: In vitro evaluation of cytotoxicity and antimicrobial properties

Maksimović Milica (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Belgrade, Serbia)
Jovanović Marina (Institute of General and Physical Chemistry. Belgrade, Serbia), marina.rajic.jovanovic@gmail.com
Nikolić Biljana ORCID iD icon (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Belgrade, Serbia)
Tomić Nina ORCID iD icon (Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA, Belgrade, Serbia)
Tenji Dina ORCID iD icon (University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Novi Sad, Serbia)
Stević Tatjana ORCID iD icon (Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr Josif Pančić”, Belgrade, Serbia)
Mitić-Ćulafić Dragana ORCID iD icon (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Belgrade, Serbia), mdragana@bio.bg.ac.rs

Persicaria amphibia (subfam. Polygonoideae), an aquatic macrophyte rich in dietary polyphenolics, is used as a traditional remedy and culinary herb. Nevertheless, P. amphibia from the Balkan region has been insufficiently studied and underutilized. Here, the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial properties of the previously chemically characterised ethanol extract of P. amphibia aerial parts were tested. The following methods were carried out: the MTT assay, qRT-PCR, microdilution assay, Chromobacterium violaceum screening assay (monitoring of quorum sensing, QS) and the agar plating method (antifungal activity). The study was conducted to determine the cytotoxic effects of P. amphibia against lung cancer cells (A549) and its combination with cytostatic doxorubicin (Dox). A dose-dependent decrease in cell viability (up to 82% reduction) and additive interactions of the tested agents were noted. Both alone and combined with Dox, P. amphibia reduced the expression of Nrf2 (p < 0.05). In terms of antimicrobial effects, P. amphibia exhibited an antipathogenic effect since it disrupted QS communication, which was evident through the inhibition of violacein production of C. violaceum CV025. The antifungal screening revealed that P. amphibia induced significant growth inhibition of Aspergillus spp. (28.23%). Based on the obtained results, further examination of the potential use of P. amphibia in modern phytotherapy and diet-derived cancer chemoprevention is encouraged.

Keywords: Persicaria amphibia, doxorubicin, Nrf2gene expression, antimicrobial activity, quorum sensing, diet-derived therapy

Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 451-03-68/2022-14/200051

Show references