The Anti-Cancer Effects of Arborinine from Ruta Graveolens L. on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) Breast Cancer Cells: Inhibition of Cell Growth and Induction of Apoptosis

Overview

Journal Cureus

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2025 Feb 26

PMID 40007918

Authors

Vahid Zangouri

Hamid Zaferani Arani

Seyed Alireza Salimi Tabatabaee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Arborinine, a plant-derived alkaloid, has shown potential cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines. This study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity and apoptosis effects of arborinine on breast cancer (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7)) and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) as normal cell lines.

Methods: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assess the inhibitory concentration of 50% (IC50) after 24 and 48 hours of treatment of HEK293 and MCF-7 cell lines with arborinine. Apoptosis was evaluated through Annexin V/PI staining, and gene expressions including BAX, BCL-2, P53, PARP, and caspases (i.e., 3, 8, and 9) were analyzed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Additionally, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescence.

Results: The MTT assay results indicated a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability for both HEK293 and MCF-7 cells following treatment with arborinine. The viability of HEK293 cells decreased significantly (P=0.038) at concentrations above 150 µg/mL, while IC50 for MCF-7 cells was 50 µg/mL and 25 µg/mL for 24 and 48 hours, respectively. Annexin V staining revealed apoptosis rates of 9.36% in untreated MCF-7 cells, increasing to 52.3% post-treatment. Arborinine treatment upregulated pro-apoptotic factors, including BAX, PARP, and P53, while downregulating BCL-2. Additionally, arborinine increased ROS levels by approximately 1.3-fold and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels, while enhancing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.

Conclusion: This study shows that arborinine reduces cell viability and induces apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by modulating key apoptotic pathways. Its effectiveness at lower concentrations in cancerous cells highlights its potential as a promising therapeutic agent in oncology.

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