Lorestan University of Medical Sciences Herbal Medicines Journal 2538-2144 11 1 2026 01 01 Sorgolactone Induces MAPK-Mediated Cytotoxicity in A2780s Ovarian Cancer Cells: A Biochemical and Molecular 244859 10.22087/hmj.2026.546377.1005 EN Fatemeh Fazeli Former student of Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. Seyed Kazem Sabbagh Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. Zahra Ahmadnia Former student of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Mohammad Reza Sarafraz Ardakani Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. Journal Article 2025 09 10 Ovarian cancer is a highly lethal gynecologic malignancy, and its rising incidence and the limitations of conventional treatments necessitate the development of new therapies. Plant-derived compounds like strigolactones (SLs) are being investigated for their potential to kill cancer cells with minimal harm to healthy tissues. This study investigated the anticancer effects of sorgolactone on A2780s cells by assessing cell viability and expression of MAPK8 and MAPK14 genes. A2780s human ovarian cancer cells were treated with varying concentrations of sorgolactone (2.5–30 ppm) for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay, and IC₅₀ values were calculated. Cells treated with the IC₅₀ dose were then used for total RNA extraction. Expression levels of MAPK8 and MAPK14 were quantified via qRT-PCR using GAPDH as the reference gene, and analyzed using the 2⁻ΔΔCt method. Sorgolactone reduced A2780s cell viability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with IC₅₀ values decreasing from 30.38 ppm (24 h) to 25.76 ppm (48 h) and 20–25 ppm (72 h). Gene expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of MAPK14 and MAPK8, with MAPK14 fold changes, and MAPK8 showing a sharper increase. The highest expression levels for both genes occurred at 72 hours. This study demonstrates that sorgolactone exerts a significant time-dependent cytotoxic effect on A2780s ovarian cancer cells. This anticancer activity is associated with the substantial upregulation of MAPK14 and MAPK8 expression, suggesting that sorgolactone triggers cell death by activating the p38 and JNK stress-activated MAPK pathways.