Aims Despite many advances in cancer treatment and control, significant deficiencies remain and the rate of cancer growth is increasing. Due to the side effects of using chemicals and radiation, the use of herbs can have fewer side effects for the patient. The aim of the current study is to investigate the potential anticancer effects of alcoholic extract of Lavender on inhibition and growth of HepG2 cell lines. Materials & Methods In this study, the effect of alcoholic extract of lavender (1, 10, 100, and 1000μ g/ml) on HepG2 liver cancer cell line was studied. MTT assay was used to evaluate the toxicity of lavender extract and cell viability. Cell cycle changes were assessed using a flow cytometer. Oxygen-free species production and membrane lipid peroxidation were also measured. Findings The results showed that alcoholic extract of Lavender has anticancer effect on HepG2 cell line. After confirming the effect of lavender extract on cell cycle, the results obtained from the evaluation of membrane lipid peroxidation and production of free reactive species were also significant. Conclusion According to the results of this study, the alcoholic extract of Lavender was reported as a potential anticancer agent and is one of the therapeutic strategies in liver cancer.

Background and Objectives: Stevioside, a natural sweetener derived from Stevia plant, has anti-cancer properties. Accordingly, the present study investigated the in vitro effects of stevioside cytotoxicity on cancerous liver (Hep G2), colon (HT29), and breast (MCF7) Cells and normal human embryonic kidney cell (Hek293) compared to cisplatin as anticancer drug. Methods: In the present study, cytotoxic activity of stevioside was investigated and compared with cisplatin as a well-known anti-cancer drug. The cytotoxic effects of stevioside and cisplatin on Hep G2, HT29, MCF7, and Hek293 Cells, were investigated by MTT assay. IC50 values were calculated by fitting the data in a sigmoidal dose-response curve using non-linear regression analysis for each cell line. Results: Among the studied cancerous cell lines, stevioside showed higher cell growth inhibition on Hep G2 cell line. Stevioside did not have high toxicity on Hek293 normal cell line, but cisplatin had more toxicity in comparison with steviosid on the normal human embryonic kidney cell. Conclusion: The sweetener stevioside, showed less cytotoxic effects compared to cisplatin. Due to its non-toxicity to normal human kidney embryonic cell (Hek293), stevioside can be used as auxiliary treatment regimen in patients with liver, breast, and colon cancers.