and Raddi (Solanaceae) Fruit Extract on Breast Tissues.

BACKGROUND

Menopause is a normal event characterized by a drop in estrogen's production, leading to numerous symptoms. To face these later, women rely on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which alleviates numerous menopausal symptoms. Unfortunately, long-term exposure to estrogens is associated with an increase in endometrial and breast cancers. This study dealt with the evaluation of and antiproliferative effects of Raddi, a plant used in folk medicine to treat tumors in Cameroon.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The antiproliferative effect of fruit extract was investigated through the well-characterized MTT assay in one normal and three cancerous breast cells. For the study, one normal group (NOR) of rats received distilled water (vehicle), and five other groups ( = 6) were treated either with tamoxifen (3.3 mg/kg BW) as standard or with the vehicle (negative control) or fruit hydroethanolic extract (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg BW). The treatments were administered concomitantly with the E2V to induce breast hyperplasia for 16 weeks, and the endpoints were the histopathology of the mammary glands and some biochemical parameters.

RESULTS

The extract significantly inhibited human (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and rodent (4T1) breast carcinoma cell growth. Rats exposed only to E2V presented atypical mammary hyperplasia compared to the normal parenchyma observed in normal rats. While rats treated with extract at the dose of 125 mg/kg BW showed a microarchitecture of mammary glands with moderate hyperplasia, the higher doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) inhibited mammary gland hyperplasia compared to the E2V group.

CONCLUSION

fruit extract has antiproliferative constituents that could help to fight against estrogen-dependent breast cancer, thanks to their ability to scavenge free radicals, as exhibited in this study.