Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 17 4 2024 03 17 1655 1655 Maryam Tavassoli Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Kadivar Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Abdigoudarzi 3Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran Abbas Moridnia Department of Genetics and molecular biology, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran Samira Chaibakhsh Eye Research Center, the Five Senses Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mojtaba Beik-mohammadi West Health Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2023 06 22 2023 08 13 Background: The saliva and salivary glands of ticks possess a wide range of immuno-pharmacologically active mole­cules that effectively modulate the activity of enzymes, antibodies, and amines that have a role in different biological processes. Derived components from saliva and salivary glands of hard ticks Ixodidae have been characterized as poten­tial natural sources for discovering promising anti-cancer drug candidates. Methods: The anti-cancer activity of salivary gland extracts (SGEs) from Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma drome­darii, Hyalomma marginatum, and Hyalomma schulzei was assessed. MTT assays and flow cytometry were done on the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line to evaluate the anti-viability and proliferative inhibition. Results: Based on the MTT assay results, the SGEs from Hy. dromedarii had the highest and lowest substantial anti-viability effects on the HT-29 cancer cell and human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) normal cell, respectively. The cytometric assessment revealed a significant increase in the apoptosis and necrosis ratio of the HT-29 cancer cells after treatment with Hy. dromedarii SGEs. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that Hy. dromedarii SGEs have significant anti-proliferative, anti-viability, and apoptotic potential. The result of this study suggests that Hy. dromedarii SGEs is an appropriate candidate for further investigations to identify and purify the mechanisms and molecules involved in the anti-cancer activity of the SGEs. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1655 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1655/641