Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract and remains a leading cause of cancer‑related mortality worldwide. Due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms in early stages, this disease is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Uncontrolled proliferation of epithelial cells in the gastric mucosa leads to tumor formation and disease progression. Recent studies have highlighted the critical regulatory roles of long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs), particularly MALAT1 and SNHG1, in gastric cancer development and progression. Meanwhile, plant‑derived natural compounds have gained increasing attention as complementary anticancer agents because of their relatively low toxicity.
Objective:The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of aqueous chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) extract and its impact on the expression of lncRNAs MALAT1 and SNHG1 in the human gastric cancer cell line AGS.
Methods: In this experimental study, dried chamomile flowers were authenticated, powdered, and subjected to aqueous extraction. The extract was filtered, concentrated, and freeze‑dried to obtain a pure powdered form. AGS cells were cultured in RPMI‑1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay across a concentration range of 1–4 mg/mL after 24 h of treatment, and the half‑maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was determined.
Following treatment at the IC₅₀ concentration, total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent, and RNA quality was assessed by NanoDrop spectrophotometry and agarose gel electrophoresis. cDNA synthesis was performed using reverse transcriptase, and its quality was confirmed by PCR amplification of the housekeeping gene ACTB. The mRNA expression levels of MALAT1 and SNHG1 were evaluated using semi‑quantitative PCR. PCR products were separated on 2% agarose gels, and band intensities were quantified using ImageJ software and normalized to AC
