Exploring the anticancer potential of Vitex negundo L.: Cytotoxicity and gene regulation in PA1 ovarian cancer cells

Background Ovarian cancer is a commonly occurring and significant health concern among women worldwide. There is an ongoing search for effective and natural therapeutic agents to combat this disease. Objective The study aimed to analyze the cytotoxic effect and gene expression in ovarian cancer (PA1) cell lines treated with methanolic leaf extract of Vitex negundo . Methods The cytotoxic effect of the methanolic leaf extract of Vitex negundo on the ovarian cancer cell line (PA1) was determined using the MTT assay. The IC50 value was calculated to assess the concentration required to inhibit 50% of cell growth. Gene expression analysis was performed using RT-qPCR to evaluate the mRNA levels of significant targets including PLEKHH3, STIP1, and ATP5F1A. Results The IC50 value of the methanolic leaf extract of Vitex negundo on PA1 cells was determined as 53.332 ± 1.449 µg/mL compared to vehicle control cells. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that among the three target genes analyzed, two targets (PLEKHH3 and ATP5F1A) were downregulated, while STIP1 was upregulated upon treatment with the plant extract compared with untreated control cells. Conclusion This study indicates that the methanolic leaf extract of Vitex negundo exhibits cytotoxic effects against ovarian cancer cells and modulates gene expression of key targets involved in cellular processes. These findings suggest potential therapeutic applications of Vitex negundo in the treatment of ovarian cancer.