Capsaicin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line

Capsaicin is the main component of many hot peppers, exerts anticancer effects on various cancer cells by inducing apoptotic pathways. In addition, the ineffectiveness of this apoptotic effect of capsaicin on healthy cells provides a wide-ranging use of capsaicin. In recent years, many studies have been carried out to determine the safety of capsaicin use in lung cancer, which is a common cancer type worldwide with high mortality rates. In the present study anticancer effects of capsaicin were studied on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. Also, citotoxicity of this compound was studied on L929 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line. Various concentration of capsaicin (3.90625-500 μM) effectively decreased cell viability in A549 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. Also, this antiproliferative effect of capsaicin was selective compared to L929 cell line. On the other hand, apoptosis inducing effects of capsaicin were studied by Annexin V-FITC and Caspase 3 assays by using IC50 and IC50/2 concentrations on A549 cell by flow cytometric methods. Our results revealed that the anticancer effects induced by capsaicin on A549 cell line involved apoptosis by inducing Caspase 3 pathway.