Quercetin Differentially Modulates MTT-Derived Cellular Metabolic Activity and Apoptosis-Related Gene Expression in A549 and BEAS-2B Cells
- 1Pharmacy Services Program, Vocational School of Health Services, Lokman Hekim University, 06510 Ankara, Türkiye
- 2Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, KTO Karatay University, 42020 Konya, Türkiye
- 3Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, 24100 Erzincan, Türkiye
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid with potential anticancer activity, but comparative effects in malignant and non-malignant lung-derived epithelial cells remain incompletely characterized. Methods: A549 and BEAS-2B cells were exposed to quercetin (1–250 µM) for 24, 48, and 72 h, and MTT-derived cellular metabolic activity was measured. Mean normalized concentration–response curves from three independent biological experiments (n = 3) were fitted with four-parameter logistic models, and Greenhouse–Geisser-corrected cell line × concentration × time interactions were tested. Apoptosis-related gene expression was assessed by qRT-PCR after exposure to 45 µM quercetin for 48 h; 45 µM was not a discrete concentration in the MTT series and was close to the directly tested 40 µM condition. Results: Apparent MTT-derived IC50 values were 58.28 µM (95% CI 44.18–74.81) for A549 and 121.22 µM (89.50–164.66) for BEAS-2B at 48 h, and 2.73 µM (2.31–3.67) and 1.49 µM (1.27–1.77), respectively, at 72 h. Cell line × concentration interactions were significant at all exposure times, as was the cell line × concentration × time interaction; transcriptional profiles differed descriptively between cell lines. Conclusions: The fitted IC50 ordering reversed between 48 and 72 h, so a stable cancer-selective response is not supported. MTT reflects metabolic activity rather than cell death, and transcript changes do not establish functional apoptosis.
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BibTeX
@article{vardar2026quercetin,
title = {{Quercetin Differentially Modulates MTT-Derived Cellular Metabolic Activity and Apoptosis-Related Gene Expression in A549 and BEAS-2B Cells}},
author = {Deniz Özkan Vardar and Tuğçe Duran and Merve Aydın},
journal = {Metabolites},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/metabo16100740},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/10/740},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Quercetin Differentially Modulates MTT-Derived Cellular Metabolic Activity and Apoptosis-Related Gene Expression in A549 and BEAS-2B Cells
AU - Deniz Özkan Vardar
AU - Tuğçe Duran
AU - Merve Aydın
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Metabolites
DO - 10.3390/metabo16100740
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/10/740
AB - Background/Objectives: Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid with potential anticancer activity, but comparative effects in malignant and non-malignant lung-derived epithelial cells remain incompletely characterized. Methods: A549 and BEAS-2B cells were exposed to quercetin (1–250 µM) for 24, 48, and 72 h, and MTT-derived cellular metabolic activity was measured. Mean normalized concentration–response curves from three independent biological experiments (n = 3) were fitted with four-parameter logistic models, and Greenhouse–Geisser-corrected cell line × concentration × time interactions were tested. Apoptosis-related gene expression was assessed by qRT-PCR after exposure to 45 µM quercetin for 48 h; 45 µM was not a discrete concentration in the MTT series and was close to the directly tested 40 µM condition. Results: Apparent MTT-derived IC50 values were 58.28 µM (95% CI 44.18–74.81) for A549 and 121.22 µM (89.50–164.66) for BEAS-2B at 48 h, and 2.73 µM (2.31–3.67) and 1.49 µM (1.27–1.77), respectively, at 72 h. Cell line × concentration interactions were significant at all exposure times, as was the cell line × concentration × time interaction; transcriptional profiles differed descriptively between cell lines. Conclusions: The fitted IC50 ordering reversed between 48 and 72 h, so a stable cancer-selective response is not supported. MTT reflects metabolic activity rather than cell death, and transcript changes do not establish functional apoptosis.
SN - 2218-1989
ER -