In vitro antitumor activity of guttiferone-A in human breast cancer cells is mediated via apoptosis, mitochondrial mediated oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species production.

PURPOSE

Breast cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and is considered as the main cause of cancer related death in females. It is estimated that about one-third of women with breast cancer develop metastases and eventually die of this disease. The main treatment options for breast cancer include surgical interventions followed by chemotherapy, hormonotherapy or radiation. However, the side effects associated with the treatment of breast cancer negatively affects the quality of patient's life. In the present study a plant-derived compound, guttiferone- A, was evaluated for its anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

METHODS

MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effects while phase contrast microscopy was used to assess the effects of the compound on cell morphology. Effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTS

It was observed that guttiferone-A reduced the cell viability of MCF-7 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 for guttiferone-A was found to be 15 μM against MCF-7 cells. Moreover, guttiferone-A induced the production of high levels of ROS and caused significant reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, guttiferone-A also induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, we conclude that guttiferone- A is a potential anticancer molecule and may prove to be a lead molecule in cancer drug discovery.