Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most serious cancers worldwide. Even with recent developments, there has been slight progress in improving the survival of HCC patients. Current therapies are accompanied by huge side effects beside incomplete recovery. Therapy by Herbal shows a marked beneficial effect. Aim: Our study screening of the cytotoxic effect of R. stricta nanoparticles which locally known as “Harmal" against highly aggressive cancer cells (in vitro). Procedures: R. Stricta Nano particles was gained by undergoing R. Stricta sheets to ball milling process to convert particles into Nano scale diameter. Cytotoxicity of different concentrations of nano- Harmal (0.0, 100 and 500 µg/ml) effects on the mRNA expression of Bax and Bcl-2 apoptosis related genes in Hep G-2 and Huh-7cell lines were investigated using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. and MTT assay and FACS analysis
Results: It is clear from SEM images that the Harmal nanoparticles are predominantly spherical in shape and polydispersity with particle size around 100 nm. Screening of of Harmal nanoparticles (HNP) after 24 and 48 hours showed a significant cytotoxic effect on all cell lines at 500 μg/ml (p < 0.05) but has a high significant decrease in Hep G-2 cell viability with 100 and 500 μg/ml of HNP Hr(p < 0.001) of treatment compared with other cell lines. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Moving on gene expression and MTT assay and FACS analysis, we concluded that the HNP produced a clear cell death apoptosis in Hep G-2 and Huh-7 cell lines