Background: Teucrium persicum (T. persicum) is a well-known Iranian endemic plant that grows in the southern regions of Iran. It is used as a tea to treat abdominal pains, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes in traditional Iranian medicine. It has been previously found that the methanolic extract of T. persicum exerts significant cytotoxicity and inhibitory effects on different cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethyl acetate extract of T. persicum on MCF-7 cells. Methods: The experiments included MTT, DAPI staining, and investigating the expression of BAX and BCL2 genes. The extract had a significant cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells, with an IC50 value of 50 µg/ml for 48 hr. Results: DAPI staining assays showed that the extract induced morphological changes, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. Additionally, the ethyl acetate extract induced the expression of BAX and down-regulated BCL2 genes. Conclusion: These findings suggest that T. persicum has strong cytotoxic properties and warrants further investigation. |