Fluorescence assay and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the mechanisms of action of 2-isopropyl-5-methyl- 1,4-benzoquinone (thymoquinone) on HEp-2 human larynx carcinoma cells. Thymoquinone was found to have a more pronounced toxic effect than 1,4-benzoquinone and 2,3,5-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone. The action of thymoquinone leads to a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, indicating activation of apoptosis of tumor cells through the mitochondrial-mediated pathway. These results indicate the possibility of using Raman spectroscopy in the study of programmed cell death.
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Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 87, No. 3, pp. 488–492, May–June, 2020.
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Vcherashniaya, A.V., Martinovich, I.V., Martinovich, G.G. et al. A Raman Spectroscopic Study of Thymoquinone Antitumor Action. J Appl Spectrosc 87, 515–519 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10812-020-01032-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10812-020-01032-z