Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancies, associated with high rates of relapse. The incidence of it in Iran is increasing with increasing numbers. Therefore best strategy is Prevention from creation and progress of CRC. A convenient Method to reduce mortality of CRC is chemoprevention. Chemoprevention is the use of natural compounds found in plants to prevent intestinal tumor genesis and its promotion. Artemisia absinthium plant is member of the great family of Compositae and belong to the genus Artemisia. This herbal plant contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, flovonoides,coumarins, sterols, polyacetylenes. In this study, the cytotoxic effect of methanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium was investigated on HCT-116 cell line. HCT-116 cells treated with IC50 concentration of A.absinthium Extract for 48 hours. The cytotoxic effects of A.absinthium extract on HCT-116 cells proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Also Real- time PCR was performed to analyze BAX, Bcl-2 gene expression. apoptosis were conducted using flowcytometry and Annexin V/PI staining assay. A.absinthium markedly decreased HCT-116 cells viability time- and dose-dependent manner. Also gene expression of BAX/Bcl-2 and Bax were increased, whereas Bcl-2 was decreased in A.absinthium-treated cells compared to control group. Apoptosis assessment using flowcytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI assay revealed that the the apoptosis was increased after 48 h.
