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Comparative evaluation of anticancer activity of sugar-rich and crude Moringa Oleifera Lam. seed extracts in MCF-7
Omowumi O Adewale1, Patrycja Wińska1, Patrycja Adamczuk2
1Drug and Cosmetics Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664, Warsaw, Poland.
Ethnopharmacological Relevance:
In traditional medicine across Africa and Asia, the wide application of Moringa Oleifera seeds for their nutritional, detoxification, and therapeutic properties, including for cancer management and for women's health conditions has been extensively reported. Despite this ethnomedicinal use, the anticancer properties of its sugar-rich components remain scientifically unvalidated. This study investigates the cytotoxicity of Moringa Oleifera seed extracts: sugar-rich fraction (MSRF) and crude aqueous extract (MCE), thereby bridging traditional knowledge with modern cancer research.
Aim Of The Study:
To compare the anticancer effects of MCE and MSRF of Moringa Oleifera seeds in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
Materials And Methods:
The cytotoxicity of the extracts was examined via MTT and clonogenic assays. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry, lipid accumulation was assessed by Nile-red staining and cell migration was assessed by wound-healing assay.
Results:
MSRF shows a 3.78-fold increase in sugar content compared to our previous crude polysaccharide extract, however, MCE exhibited higher cytotoxicity, with lower IC50 values across both cell lines at 24, 48, and 72 h. Both extracts significantly reduced clonogenic ability, disrupted cell morphology, induced early apoptosis, and disrupted cell cycle progression (reducing G1-phase cells), slightly increased lipid accumulation and significantly prevented wound closure in the breast cancer cells.
Conclusion:
In general, the MSRF showed encouraging cytotoxicity; still, MCE showed better overall activity, which would be related with the synergy of several bioactive chemicals present in the crude form. These results indicated the relevance of herbal formulations in cancer treatment and suggest the potential of the extracts, especially MSRF in cancer treatment.
