Antiproliferative Activity of Some Medicinal Plants on Human Breast and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines and their Phenolic Contents

Purpose: To determine the phenolic composition and antiproliferative activity of 16 different extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water) obtained from Bellis perennis, Convolvulus galaticus, Trifolium pannonicum and Lysimachia vulgaris on human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2/C3A) cell lines.Methods: The aerial parts of the plants were successively extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water using a Soxhlet apparatus. The phenolic content of the plants were determined by plants by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) while their antiproliferative activity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, a yellow tetrazole (MTT) assay.Results: Among the tested extracts, the methanol extract of B. perennis showed the best antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cell line with IC50 (inhibiting 50 % of cell growth) value of 71.6 μg/mL. Furthermore, the dichloromethane extract of C. galaticus showed the best anti-proliferative activity against HepG2/C3A cell line with IC50 of 57.3 μg/mL. The HPLC data for the plant extracts showed the presence of the following phenolic compounds: gallic acid monohydrate, caffeic acid, rutin hydrate, luteolin-7-O-β-D glucoside, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, coumarin and apigenin.Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that there is some justification for the use of B. perennis and C. galaticus as traditional anticancer medicinal herbs.Keywords: Bellis perennis, Convolvulus galaticus, Trifolium pannonicum subsp. elongatum, Lysimachia vulgaris, MCF-7, HepG2/C3A, Phenolics, Breast cancer, Antiproliferativ

Effect of metformin on the human T98G glioblastoma multiforme cell line

Metformin is a guanidine derivative found in Galega officinalis that is commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus. The mechanism of action of metformin involves regulation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, which is implicated in the control of protein synthesis and cell proliferation. This led to the hypothesis that metformin reduces the risk of cancer and slows tumor growth. Thus, in the present study, the effectiveness of metformin as an antiglioma agent was evaluated using the human T98G glioblastoma multiforme cell line. The viability of the T98G cells was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yL)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Apoptosis was monitored by measuring caspase-3 levels, as well as by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and staining with acridine orange and ethidium bromide. The results demonstrate that metformin reduced cell viability and caused apoptotic morphological changes in the T98G cells. Furthermore, the caspase-3 levels in the metformin-treated T98G cells were higher than those in the control cells. Metformin induced apoptosis in the T98G cell line in a concentration-dependent manner. Metformin may provide an important contribution to the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

Effect of Breast Milk Calcium and Fluidity on Breast Cancer Cells: An In Vitro Cell Culture Study

Aim: The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of calcium at the same concentration as that found in human milk on the viability, proliferation, and adhesion of MCF-7 human breast ductal carcinoma cells by exposing them to calcium at the same frequency as in breastfeeding