Role of Carum copticum seeds in modulating chromium-induced toxicity on human bronchial epithelial cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Carum copticum seeds are well known for ailment of various diseases since ancient times. The present study pertains to investigate modulatory effects of methanolic extract of C. copticum seeds (MCE) against hexavalent chromium induced cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, apoptosis and oxidative stress on human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and isolated human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) in vitro. Treatment of BEAS-2B and PBL with MCE prior to potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) treatment exhibited an increase in cell viability and decrease of DNA damage as compared to K2Cr2O7 treatment alone, as evaluated by WST-8 and Comet assay respectively. Further, MCE administration 1 h prior to graded doses of K2Cr2O7 significantly decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, increased the mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced apoptosis and caspase 3 activity. MCE also ameliorated K2Cr2O7 induced decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) antioxidant enzyme levels in BEAS-2B and PBL cells accompanied by reduction in lipid peroxides with maximum effect at 50 μg/ml. Thus, this study provides strong evidence to support the beneficial effect of MCE in preventing Cr(VI) induced toxicity in BEAS-2B and PBL cells.