Cytotoxic Effects of Crocin on Glioma Cells

Abstract

A large number of primary brain tumors are glial tumors and glioblastoma multiforme is the most dangerous of the group. Treatment of glioma
cells is very difficult because of its rapid proliferation, and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs used for various reasons.
We investigated the morphological and antiproliferative activity of 100 to 4000 μM crocin in C6 and T98G glioma cells for 24 and 48 hr.
Morphological changes in C6 cell started from the crocin concentration of 2500 μM. However, the crocin concentrations did not cause any
morphological changes in T98G cells. We also observed that the cytotoxic effect of crocin on C6 cells at the end of 24 hr of application began
at 1500 μM, while T98G cells started at 3500 μM (p<0,05). The IC50 values of crocin on C6 cells were calculated as 3360 and 2460 μM for 24
and 48 hr respectively. Although cell viability decreased in T98G cells, IC50 value could not be calculated for the two different time periods.
The crocin was more effective in the C6 cells than the T98G cells and it was observed that the time and concentration increased the suppressive
effect of the cell proliferation. The mechanisms of suppression of glioma cells proliferation by crocin should be investigated.