Investigation of the biological activity of methanol extract from Eremostachys labiosa Bunge

Eremostachys plants (Lamiaceae) are consumed by indigenous Iranian culture as medicinal plants, but experimental studies on their biological properties are lacking. In order to investigate the biological potentials, methanol extract of Eremostachys labiosa (ELM) was tested for toxicity on various cancer cell lines using MTT 3, (4, 5-dimethylthiazal-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay. Anti-cancer effect of ELM was shown by its significant toxicity on different cancer cell lines especially on gastric (AGS) cancer cells. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of ELM, the amount of produced nitric oxide (NO) was assessed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated J774A.1 macrophages using Griess reagent, and a remarkable decline was observed. Additionally, ELM showed considerable suppression on the proliferation of L. major promastigotes. The present study provides some evidence on the remarkable biological activities of E. labiosa. These findings also afford the scientific basis for the use of E. labiosa as a candidate medicinal plant for further in-depth phytochemical investigations towards anti-leishmanial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory compounds.