Herbal Mixture Adsorbed to Polyethylene Glycol Microspheres Induces Apoptotic Effects on Breast Cancer Cells

The combination of medicinal plants and polymeric matrices raised the possibility of obtaining new drugs to treat a number of diseases, including cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent diseases among women, but the effective treatments is still a challenge.

Thus, this study investigated the effect of herbal mixture adsorbed to PEG microspheres on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and these cells in co-culture of blood MN cells. The MCF-7 cells and the blood mononuclear [MN] cells from volunteer donors. MN cells, MCF-7 cells and co-culture [MN and MCF-7 cells] were pre-incubated for 24 h with or without herbal mixture [HM], polyethylene glycol [PEG] microspheres or herbal mixture adsorbed in PEG microspheres [PEG-HM]. Viability, intracellular calcium and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. The herbal mixture adsorbed in PEG microspheres reduces the viability of MCF-7 cells.

The lowest viability índex was observed in co-culture incubated with herbal mixture adsorbed to PEG microspheres. MN cells, MCF-7 cells and co-culture showed higher intracellular Ca2+ release when incubated with herbal mixture adsorbed to PEG microspheres. The apoptosis index was higher in MCF-7 cells that were treated with herbal mixture. The highest apoptosis index was observed in coculture of these cells incubated with herbal mixture adsorbed to PEG microspheres.

These data suggest that herbal mixture adsorbed by PEG microspheres has apoptotic effects on human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and is therefore a possible therapeutic alternative.