Induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by phytochemicals from Gmelina asiatica

Abstract

Currently, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic measures against this deadly disease. Many components from dietary or medicinal plants have been identified that possess substantial chemopreventive properties. India has unique plant varieties yet to be studied for anticancer components. Therefore, cytotoxicity activity and the mechanism of cell death exhibited by the extracts prepared from Gmelina asiatica, in human breast cancer MCF-7cells was investigated. The MCF-7 cells were seeded in 96-well culture plates in the presence and absence of different concentrations of extracts of G. asiatica to determine their anticancer effects using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Mechanism of cell death was evaluated by chromatin condensation using Hoest staining and morphological changes with the use of a contrast microscope. Plant extracts of G. asiatica were observed to induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells as evidenced by MTT-cell proliferation assay, cell-morphological changes and chromatin condensation. The cytotoxicity of the chloroform extract was greater than other extracts of G. asiatica. The results of the present investigation is the first report on the potential anticancer activity of G. asiatica extracts and its possible mechanism of action on cancer cell proliferation in breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines.