## 3 Results and Discussion
### Genotoxic/Genoprotective Effect of Mountain Germander Extract on Human Cell Lines  
The induction of oxidative DNA damage of the tested human cell with MG extract was evaluated by the following parameters of the alkaline comet assay: tail length and intensity. In CAL 27 cells, no statistically significant (\(p>0.05\)) effect on genetic material was observed for any of the tested extract concentrations (Figure 6). In other cell lines, concentrations of 0.050 and 0.500 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) were found to be statistically significant (\(p<0.05\)) in exhibiting genotype or genotoxic effects. In AGS cells, a statistically significant (\(p<0.05\)) genoprotective effect of tested polyphenic extract was found at concentrations of 0.025 and 0.050 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) when considering the reduction in the size of oxidation damage (tail length) after a shorter treatment time, which was prolonged with a 24 h treatment. Treatment with the extract showed a genotoxic effect on Caco-2 cells, considering that the size of the measured DNA fragments (tail length) increased statistically significantly (\(p<0.05\)) after 2 h at a concentration of 0.050 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) compared to the control. In HepG2, a statistically significant (\(p<0.05\)) genotoxic effect of the extract was observed during a shorter exposure time (2 h) by analyzing the tail length results, where the concentrations of 0.050 and 0.500 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) again stood out. Based on the measured intensity of the tail, an increase in the amount of oxidative damage to DNA can be observed after prolonged treatment (24 h) at concentrations of 0.050 and 0.150 mg mL\({}^{-1}\). The oxidative effect of treatment with aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts from selected plant species of the genera _Tythmus_, _Origanum_, and _Teuctium_ on the genetic material of normal human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) was investigated in the study by [PERSON] et al. (2020) [19]. The following concentrations were used--0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg mL\({}^{-1}\)--and the results of the comet assay were compared to the negative (water, ethanol, or methanol) and positive controls (H\({}_{2}\)0\({}_{2}\)). According to the tail intensity results for all prepared extracts, a decrease in the percentage of DNA fragments generated was observed, which is as follows: 0.025 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) for the methanol extract, 0.05 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) for the ethanol extract, and 0.05 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) for the aqueous extract. Furthermore, the results were positively correlated with certain proportions of phenolic acids and flavonoids, with rosmarinic acid, i.e., luteolin-7-O-glucose, dominating. In a more recent study by [PERSON] et al. (2023) [57], ovarian cancer cells (A2780) were found to have a significant increase in tail intensity when treated with tubuloside A, one of the major phenylethanolamine glycosides from the traditional Chinese plant _Cistanche tubulosa_, at a concentration of 100 \(\upmu\)M (\(p<0.05\)), compared to the standard chemotherapeutic agent (100 \(\upmu\)M 5-fluorouracilacil), with the confirmed induction of apoptosis of cancer cells through activation of the transcription factor p53 and the cascade of caspase enzyme reactions for programmed cell death. Figure 6: _Cont._  
Bacteriostatic/Proliferative Effect of Mountain Germander Extract on Representative Bacterial Strains of Human Microbiota  
To gain insight into the potential of MG extract as a bacteriostatic agent, the percentage of survival of bacterial cultures of _E. coli_, _S. aureus_, and _L. plantarum_ was determined when they were exposed to the extract for 60 min. A statistically significant (_p_ < 0.05) effect of all applied extract concentrations on reducing the viability of _E. coli_ cells compared to the control was found, with the concentration of 0.150 mg mL\({}^{-1}\) showing the strongest effect, inhibiting its growth by 56% (_p_ < 0.05) (Figure 7). Although a statistically significant (_p_ < 0.05) inhibitory effect of MG extract on the growth of _S.