Objective: Studies suggested that herbal compounds from the Iridaceae family have anticancer potential. The present study aimed to test the impact of Iris spuria on U87 glioblastoma and HepG2 liver cancer cells.
Materials and methods: The cells were treated with hydroalcoholic extract of I. spuria rhizome for 24 or 48 hr. The MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test and propidium iodide staining were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis, respectively. The cell migration was examined by scratch assay. Oxidative stress was determined by assessing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA).
Results: The extract showed antiproliferative effect in time- and concentration-dependent manner. The liver cancer cells, glioblastoma cells and fibroblasts (L929 cells as control) were respectively more sensitive to this effect. The extract at concentrations of ≥ 100 µg/ml could rise the levels of ROS and MDA and increase the percentage of cells in the sub-G1 stage of the cell cycle. In addition, the extract at 6-25 µg/ml significantly decreased the migration rate of HepG2 cells. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry  revealed the presence of at least 19 compounds such as flavonoids and sesquiterpenoids in the extract.
Conclusion: Hydroalcoholic extract of I. spuria showed cytotoxic activity against liver cancer and glioblastoma cells by inducing oxidative stress. Future studies should focus on isolating the active ingredients of the extract to induce anticancer effects at lower concentrations.