Research in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Res. Pharm. Biotech.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2324
  • DOI: 10.5897/RPB
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 43

Full Length Research Paper

Induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 via the Caspase pathway by longilactone from Eurycoma longifolia Jack

Shamsul Muhamad
  • Shamsul Muhamad
  • Herbal Medicine Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Health, 50588, Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
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Azimahtol Hawariah Lope Pihie
  • Azimahtol Hawariah Lope Pihie
  • Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Jalifah Latif
  • Jalifah Latif
  • Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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ChuKyun Rha
  • ChuKyun Rha
  • Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
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T. G. Sambandan
  • T. G. Sambandan
  • Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
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  •  Accepted: 11 January 2011
  •  Published: 31 January 2011

Abstract

 

The effects of longilactone isolated from Eurycoma longifolia Jack were studied in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. The research aim was to investigate the possible molecular mechanism of action of longilactone on MCF-7. The SRB assay showed that longilactone exerts a strong cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 with an IC50 of 0.53 ± 0.19 µg/ml. Hoechst 33342 staining assay and TEM analysis showed that longilactone induced apoptosis in MCF-7 as evidenced by nuclear condensation, fragmentation and margination; apoptosis induction occurred in a time-dependent manner. Western blot analysis indicated that longilactone activated the caspase-7,-8 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, but failed to activate caspase-9. The basal levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were also not influenced by longilactone. Results indicate that longilactone induced apoptosis in MCF-7 via an extrinsic pathway, but not through an intrinsic pathway. We conclude that longilactone is a promising cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent for treating breast cancer after further evaluation.

 

Key words: Longilactone, Eurycoma longifolia, MCF-7, apoptosis, caspase.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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