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Terpenoids from quinoa suppresses breast cancer migration by down-regulating the miR-21-5p

Ning An1, Jiangying Shi1, Ruipeng Yang1

  • 1Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.

Food Science and Biotechnology
|October 20, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Quinoa bran terpenoids (QBT) inhibit breast cancer migration by down-regulating miR-21-5p, which targets the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. This study reveals a novel mechanism for QBT

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Natural Products Chemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with metastasis being a primary cause of mortality.
  • Terpenoids from natural products exhibit potent anti-tumor properties.
  • Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is crucial for cancer cell migration and metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-breast cancer effects of a quinoa bran-derived terpenoid extract, named QBT.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which QBT inhibits breast cancer cell migration.
  • To explore the role of miR-21-5p and the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway in QBT's anti-metastatic activity.

Main Methods:

  • Extraction and identification of terpenoids from quinoa bran (QBT).
  • Western blot analysis to assess the impact of QBT on breast cancer cell migration and EMT markers.
  • Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify miR-21-5p expression levels.
  • Investigation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • QBT significantly inhibited breast cancer cell migration by reversing EMT.
  • QBT treatment led to a significant down-regulation of miR-21-5p expression.
  • miR-21-5p was identified as a key regulator in QBT-mediated inhibition of breast cancer metastasis via the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Conclusions:

  • QBT demonstrates significant anti-metastatic potential in breast cancer.
  • The study highlights the inhibitory mechanism of QBT involving the miR-21-5p/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis.
  • QBT represents a promising natural compound for breast cancer therapy, targeting cell migration and metastasis.
Keywords:
Breast cancerMiR-21-5pMigrationQuinoaTerpenoids

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