Figure 5
Carvacrol is not cytotoxic to the human tonsil epithelium cells. (A) Cell viability was measured using the MTS assay after treating human tonsil epithelium cells (TonEpiCs) with 15.6, 31.3, 62.5, 125, and 250 µg/mL carvacrol for 24 h. Absorbance was measured at 490 nm. Data are shown as mean ± SE from three independent experiments, each in triplicate. Differences among means were compared with untreated TonEpiCs (ANOVA, Tukey’s test). (B) Morphology of TonEpiCs grown in poly-l-Lysine coated flask with tonsil epithelial growth medium at 90% confluence was observed using a phase-contrast microscope. (a) Magnification, × 100; (b) Magnification, × 400. (C) TonEpiCs treated with different carvacrol were photographed using a phase-contrast microscope at × 100 magnification. Representative photographs captured at 24 h post-treatment in three independent experiments are shown. (a) untreated; (b) vehicle control (0.25% DMSO) and carvacrol treatments of (c) 3.9 µg/mL, (d) 7.8 µg/mL, (e) 15.6 µg/mL, (f) 31.3 µg/mL, (g) 62.5 µg/mL, (h) 125 µg/mL, and (i) 250 µg/mL.
