Assessment of the biological activity of Boiss. ().

Present scientific evidences about the biological activity and potential medical application of extracts derived from Boiss. are limited. Therefore, our study was undertaken to define several main characteristics in this regard - cytotoxicity and antitumor properties, antibacterial activity and immunomodulatory potential. Extracts were obtained from different aerial parts of - stems, leaves and flowers. The cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of the samples were evaluated by tetrazolium salt reduction tests and Neutral red uptake assays using four human cell lines (a normal fibroblastic and three adenocarcinoma cell lines/A549, HeLa, HT-29/) and by experiments with HT-29 tumor spheroids. Antibacterial activity toward Gram-negative () and Gram-positive () species was assessed based on estimation of minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations as well as longitudinal studies on bacterial viability. assays with normal leukocytes were performed to define potential immunomodulatory activity of the extracts. Our results demonstrated selective antitumor activity of the extracts directed against colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells and cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa cell line. Metabolic activity of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells was affected only by the sample derived from flowers. leaf and flower extracts showed the highest activity, which included reduction of HT-29 tumor spheroid growth and viability. The studied samples exhibited antibacterial activity against both bacterial species tested. Treatment with extracts affected specific leukocyte populations (HLA, CD19, CD11b, CD25 cells). These results demonstrate for the first time complex biological effects of extracts derived from and their potential to serve as a source of valuable compounds for the pharmaceutical industry.