Nerolidol induced apoptosis in human laryngeal cancer cells (Hep 2) through activation of ROS and mitochondrial-mediated pathway: An in vitro and in silico study

The aim of the present study was to examine Nerolidol (NER) and cisplatin (CIS) performed against human laryngeal carcinoma (Hep 2) cells. The MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of NER and CIS on Hep 2 cells in terms of morphological alterations. We evaluated the effect of NER, CIS, and NER + CIS on cell migration, oxidative stress (ROS), mitochondrial membrane depolarization (MMP), nuclear condensation, induction of apoptosis and DNA damage in Hep 2 cells. In addition, the molecular docking study also evaluated the structural binding interaction of the NER with the P13K/Akt and PCNA protein. The results demonstrate that IC 50 values of NER and CIS and combination NER + CIS have a potential cytotoxicity against Hep 2 cells. Moreover, effectively inhibit cell viability and increased ROS generation due to induction of apoptosis in Hep 2 cells. Furthermore, the NER interaction with the PI3K/Akt and PCNA protein has a higher binding score and a high binding affinity. As a result of these findings, NER may be a promising anticancer drug in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) by inducing apoptosis in Hep 2cells.