Assessment of Gallic Acid–Induced Apoptosis in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this research was to examine the apoptotic effects of Gallic Acid (GA) on human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (HNO-97) and normal oral epithelial cell (OEC) lines. Materials and methods: HNO-97 and OEC cells were treated with GA. The cytotoxic effects of GA were evaluated in vitro using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess the expression levels of the apoptotic gene Caspase-3. Additionally, morphological changes associated with apoptosis were observed in all groups using inverted light microscopy. Results: GA demonstrated selective pro-apoptotic activity against cancer cells by significantly reducing the viability of HNO-97 cells and upregulating Caspase-3 expression, while exhibiting minimal effects on normal OEC cells. Conclusion: The findings imply that GA holds promise as an adjuvant anticancer agent in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), due to its potent cytotoxic effects on cancer cells and limited impact on normal epithelial cells.