Teucrium persicum is a member of the Teucrium genus and Lamiaceae family. It is a native plant of Iran, specifically found in the Fars province. For many years, this plant has been used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat headaches and abdominal pain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of the T. persicum chloroform extract on prostate cancer cells (PC-3). Initially, we examined the chemical profile of the T. persicum chloroform extract using the GC/MS test. The extract was found to contain several compounds, with the most abundant ones being Eicosane (an alkane), delta-Amorphene (a compound from the Cadinene family), and Nerolidol (a type of sesquiterpenoid alcohol). Subsequently, different concentrations of the extract were applied to PC-3 cells for 48 hours. The results of the MTT tests revealed that the IC50 of the T. persicum plant extract is about 100 µg/ml. To further analyze the effects of the extract, PC-3 cells were treated with concentrations of 80 and 100 μg/ml for 48 hours. The nuclei of these cells were then stained with DAPI and examined using a fluorescent microscope. Microscopic observations demonstrated that the chromatin in the extract-treated cells was condensed, and the nucleus was fragmented. These changes were not observed in the control cells. Overall, our results indicate that the chloroform extract of T. persicum can induce cell death by activating apoptosis.
