Oral Cancer’s New Enemy - Goniothalamus umbrosus Targets Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Spare Human Gingival Fibroblast Cells

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by James

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has poor prognosis and high mortality, with tobacco, alcohol, betel quid chewing, and genetic mutation as key risk factors. Goniothalamus umbrosus has been traditionally used by cancer patients, yet evidence for anticancer effects in oral cancer remains limited. This study evaluated G. umbrosus extracts against OSCC cell lines (SCC-15, HSC-3) and compared cytotoxic effects on human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells using MTT assay.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Abstract

Objective

Material and Methods

Results

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Introduction

Article published online: 2025-01-09 Original Article 457 Oral Cancer’s New Enemy: Goniothalamus umbrosus Targets Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Spare Human Gingival Fibroblast Cells Nuraini Che Aziz 1 Basma Ezzat Mustafa Alahmad 1 Muhanad Ali Kashmoola2 Widya Lestari 1 Nik Mohd Mazuan Nik Mohd Rosdy3 Khairani Idah Mokhtar 1 1 Department of Fundamental Dental Medical Science, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia 2 Department of Dentistry, Bilad Alraﬁdain University College, Diyala, Iraq 3 Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia Eur J Dent 2025;19:457–463. Address for correspondence Basma Ezzat Mustafa Al-Ahmad, BS, MSc, PhD, Department of Fundamental Dental Medical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kampus Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia (e-mail: [drbasma@iium.edu.my](drbasma@iium.edu.my) ; [alahmadbasma970@gmail.com](alahmadbasma970@gmail.com)). Abstract Keywords ► Goniothalamus umbrosus ► oral squamous cell carcinoma ► human gingival fibroblast ► selective cytotoxicity Objective Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the prevailing type of oral cancer, representing poor prognosis and elevated mortality rates. Major risk factors for OSCC include the use of tobacco products, alcohol consumption, betel quid chewing, and genetic mutation. Goniothalamus umbrosus is traditionally consumed by cancer patients to ﬁght against tumor growth. To date, research on the anticancer potential of G. umbrosus in oral cancer remains deﬁcient. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer potential of G. umbrosus in OSCC cell lines (SCC-15 and HSC-3) and compare its cytotoxic activity on human gingival ﬁbroblast (HGF) cell lines. Material and Methods Leaves of G. umbrosus were cleaned, air dried, ground, and soaked for 24 hours with methanol and hexane repeatedly three times, respectively. Pooled extracts of each solvent were then dried with a rotary evaporator. Anticancer potential of G. umbrosus extracts was evaluated on two OSCC cell lines (SCC-15 and HSC- 3) and a normal HGF cell line incubated for 24, 48, and 72 hours by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cytotoxicity of cisplatin was assessed as a positive control. Morphological changes of cells were observed under an inverted microscope. Results MTT assay revealed that G. umbrosus methanol extract (GUME) displayed moderate anticancer activity on SCC-15, HSC-3, and HGF cell lines with IC50 values of 126.67, 90.5, and 87.33 µg/mL following 72 hours’ incubation times, respectively. G. umbrosus hexane extract (GUHE) exerted moderate anticancer activity against SCC-15 and HSC-3 cell lines with IC50 values of 171 and 174 µg/mL, respectively, but weak cytotoxicity against the HGF cell line with IC50 value of 343.5 µg/mL. Cisplatin exerted a strong cytotoxic impact on both OSCC and HGF cell lines. Morphological observation revealed the characteristics of cells undergoing apoptosis. article published online January 9, 2025 DOI [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)10.1055/s-0044-1801278 . ISSN 1305-7456. © 2025 . The Author(s) . This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited.([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)) Thieme Medical and Scientiﬁc Publishers Pvt. Ltd. , A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India 458 Goniothalamus umbrosus Targets Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Spare HGF Cells Aziz et al. Conclusion The ﬁndings show that GUHE was more selective in inhibiting the proliferation of oral cancer cells than GUME by exerti

FAQs

What anticancer potential was evaluated in this study?

The study evaluated the anticancer potential of Goniothalamus umbrosus extracts on OSCC cell lines (SCC-15 and HSC-3). It also assessed cytotoxic activity on human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells to compare selectivity.

How were the G. umbrosus extracts prepared and tested?

Leaves of G. umbrosus were cleaned, air dried, ground, and soaked for 24 hours with methanol and hexane, repeatedly three times each. Extracts were dried and tested on OSCC and HGF cells for 24, 48, and 72 hours using an MTT assay, with cisplatin as a positive control.

What were the main findings regarding selectivity between OSCC and HGF cells?

The methanol extract showed moderate anticancer activity on OSCC and HGF, while the hexane extract displayed moderate activity against OSCC and weak cytotoxicity against HGF. The hexane extract was more selective than the methanol extract, and cisplatin showed strong nonselective cytotoxicity.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by James