{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T13:00:32Z","timestamp":1781701232777,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,21]],"date-time":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1671580800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is highly aggressive type of cancer for which the available treatment often causes patients severe side effects. Eugenol (Eug) is the major active constituent of clove essential oil and is known to possess antitumor properties. The present study aimed to assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of eugenol in SCC-4, tongue squamous carcinoma cells, and also in HGF, human gingival fibroblasts. Both cell lines were treated with five concentrations of Eug (0.1\u20131 mM) for 72 h. Cellular viability was assessed, followed by cellular morphological evaluation and by staining of the nuclei and cytoskeleton. RT-PCR was conducted in order to find the effect eugenol had on the expression on Bad, Bax, and Bcl-2 genes. Eugenol induced a dose-dependent decrease in viability in both cell lines, with the SCC-4 cells being significantly more affected. HGF cells detached from the plate at the highest concentrations used, while SCC-4 cells changed their morphology in a dose-dependent manner, with rounding, floating cells, and confluency loss being observed. Apoptotic-like signs such as chromatin and actin filaments condensation were clearly seen in SCC-4 cells, while RT-PCR revealed a significantly increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Bad. Therefore, eugenol exerts its cytotoxic effect in tongue squamous cell carcinoma through inducing apoptosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life13010022","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,22]],"date-time":"2022-12-22T02:06:14Z","timestamp":1671674774000},"page":"22","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Eugenol Induces Apoptosis in Tongue Squamous Carcinoma Cells by Mediating the Expression of Bcl-2 Family"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Dan-Alexandru","family":"Surducan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert Cosmin","family":"Racea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babe\u0219 University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9 Revolutiei 1989 Ave., 300070 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Multidisciplinary Center for Research, Evaluation, Diagnosis and Therapies in Oral Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Madalina","family":"Cabuta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iustin","family":"Olariu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9890-2277","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana","family":"Macasoi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6375-4705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura Cristina","family":"Rusu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babe\u0219 University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9 Revolutiei 1989 Ave., 300070 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Multidisciplinary Center for Research, Evaluation, Diagnosis and Therapies in Oral Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sorin Dan","family":"Chiriac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Doina","family":"Chioran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babe\u0219 University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9 Revolutiei 1989 Ave., 300070 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4351-7726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefania","family":"Dinu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babe\u0219 University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9 Revolutiei 1989 Ave., 300070 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Pediatric Dentistry Research Center, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babes, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 9 No., Revolutiei Bv., 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marius Octavian","family":"Pricop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dental Medicine, Victor Babe\u0219 University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9 Revolutiei 1989 Ave., 300070 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-020-00224-3","article-title":"Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma","volume":"6","author":"Johnson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. 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