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Monochasma Savatieri Aqueous Extract inhibits Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Migration and Adhesion Without Generating
Lin Tan1, Juan C Solis-Sainz1,2
1Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou Hainan, 571101, China.
Background:
Monochasma savatieri, is a rare and endangered plant used to treat cancer in Chinese traditional medicine.
Objective:
To evaluate the anti-cancer activity of M. savatieri aqueous extract by determining its cytotoxicity, anti-migratory, and anti-adhesion effects on breast cancer cells.
Methods:
Cell viability, migration, adhesion, circularity, and cell cycle were evaluated by crystal violet (CV) staining, wound-healing, and transwell assays and flow cytometry in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Caveolin-1, snail, vimentin and activated Erk and Akt expression were determined by western blot in MDA-MB-231 cells. Immunofluorescent assays confirmed caveolin-1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells.
Results:
Survival and cell cycle of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were not modified by doses up to 500 μg/mL of the extract. The extract inhibited cell migration and adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells. When cells were exposed to the extract, there was a slight decrease in protein expression of factors related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (snail and vimentin) and a strong decrease in the expression of the oncogenic membrane protein caveolin- 1. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylated Erk and Akt were also decreased. The content of acteoside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside with reported anti-cancer activity present in M. savatieri, was almost 5 times as much as isoacteoside.
Conclusion:
M. savatieri possesses anti-cancer activity without exerting cytotoxicity on breast cancer cells. The extract exhibited anti-migratory and anti-adhesion effects on breast cancer cells by regulating Erk and Akt signaling pathways and the expression of caveolin-1. In addition, acteoside present in M. savatieri could be responsible for the observed effects.
