Investigation of anti-cancer, dna protection and antimicrobial activities of extracts and oils of endemic anatolia sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis mill.)

Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells are constantly dividing and immortal. Although many different treatment methods and drugs have been developed against the disease, the search for new pharmaceutical raw materials, which are naturally found in nature and which may break the resistance of the cancer mechanism, still continues. Anatolian Sweetgum Tree (Liquidambar orientalis Mill.) is an endemic tree species which is found only in the southwest of the our country and managed to maintain its existence for centuries despite the changing environmental conditions. Today, sweetgum oil obtained from the injury of the tree trunk is still used in many areas. In this thesis, the extracts obtained with different solvents from Anatolian Sweetgum tree and tree oil; MTT cell viability analyzes were performed using A549 lung cancer line, MDA-MB 231 breast cancer line and PC3 prostate cancer cell line. As a result of the analysis, sweetgum oil was found to be the most cytotoxic extract on all cell lines and in two different time intervals. Furthermore, apoptotic and autophagic marker gene expressions of extracts and oil treated cell lines were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR method. DNA protection analyzes of extracts and oil were performed using pUC19 plasmid DNA, with no DNA protection activity at concentrations of 10, 20 and 50 mg/ml. In order to determine the antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by microdilution method on 12 different bacteria. Considering the number of bacteria showing antimicrobial effect, the most effective extracts were; sweetgum oil, methanol, water and ethyl acetate. It is considered that the anticancer effect of sweetgum oil should be carried to experimental animals and clinical studies.