Abstract

The identification of medicinal plants and derived natural products for development as anti-cancer agents is of long standing interest. We have investigated the anti-proliferative properties of Lupinus angustifolius on breast cancer and, in particular, whether the extracts of roots and shoots of L. angustifolius can be considered as candidates for primary and secondary cancer prevention. Ethanolic extracts of roots and shoots of L. angustifolius were analysed for their substance classes by pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry. Various concentrations of these extracts (0.1, 1, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml, incubation period: 24 h) were studied with respect to their effects on cell proliferation and cytotoxicity against the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (ER-α+, ER-β+) and BT20 (ER-α-, ER-β-). L. angustifolius ethanolic root and shoot extracts inhibited cell proliferation in the MCF-7 and BT20 cells; root extract: strongest inhibition MCF-7 (200 μg/ml 71.03 ± 12.62%); BT20 (200 μg/ml 99.72 ± 6.48%), IC₅₀-values: MCF-7 (52.3 ± 9.39 μg/ml); BT20 (66.86 ± 7.02 μg/ml); shoot extract: strongest inhibition MCF-7 (200 μg/ml 64.7 ± 10.07 %); BT20 (200 μg/ml 86.32 ± 9.19%), IC₅₀-values: MCF-7 (18.06 ±4.49 μg/ml); BT20 (70.27 ± 0.76 μg/ml). Thus, extracts of L. angustifolius roots and shoots have anti-tumour activity against receptor-positive and receptor-negative breast cancer cell lines.

Key words: Anti-tumour activity, Lupinus angustifolius, breast cancer, MCF-7, BT20