en General پژوهشي Research Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong>Background:</strong>Although chemotherapy and targeted therapies have improved survival outcomes, there is growing interest in incorporating herbal medicines, such as Artemisia annua, into cancer treatment.<br> <strong>Objectives:</strong>This study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of A. annua methanolic extract on HT-29 colorectal cancer cells, particularly focusing on cell viability and the modulation of p53 and BAX/Bcl2 ratio expression.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong>The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of A. annua methanolic extract in HT-29 cells was determined via the MTT viability assay, while apoptosis was assessed using the propidium iodide (PI) staining method. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was performed to evaluate gene expression in the HT-29 cell line. Values are presented as the average of three separate determinations and expressed as mean &plusmn; SD.<br> <strong>Results:</strong>The results showed that the viability of HT-29 cells significantly decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner (IC50 for 48 h: 1358.1 &mu;g.mL-1). Propidium iodide staining results confirmed the findings of the MTT assay. Gene expression analysis revealed a decrease in p53 expression and a two-fold increase in the BAX/Bcl2 ratio following exposure to 1000 &mu;g.mL-1 of A. annua extract.<br> <strong>Conclusions:</strong>The findings from the MTT and PI assays confirm the cytotoxic effects of A. annua extract on HT-29 cells. However, the gene expression analysis of BAX, Bcl2, and p53 suggests that the observed cell death is not primarily due to apoptosis.</span></span></div> Artemisia annua,Cell Death,Cytotoxicity,Colorectal,Cancer 0 0 http://mcj.bums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-305&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Parisa Kadkhoda 10031947532846004914 10031947532846004914 No Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Azam Rezaei Farimani 10031947532846004915 10031947532846004915 No Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Elham Chamani 10031947532846004916 10031947532846004916 No Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi hashemi.smhm76@gmail.com 10031947532846004917 10031947532846004917 Yes Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran