Haplophyllum buxbaumii Induces Apoptosis via MAPK and AKT/mTOR Pathways in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Recently, studies on breast cancer treatment by plant-based extracts have increased. Haplophyllum buxbaumii (HPL) is a perennial herbaceous plant. The HPL has antioxidants and anticancer effects. Hence, this study aimed to show the apoptotic effect of HPL and its effect on the AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathway in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The MCF-7 cells were cultured and treated with HPL in various doses. The cytotoxic effect of HPL was evaluated by the MTT method. In addition, mediators of apoptotic, AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways were analyzed by the ELISA method. The data were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Results: The HPL significantly increased expression of the proapoptotic protein, Bax and cleaved-caspase 3, in MCF-7 cells. The HPL treatment also significantly reduced the expression of Bcl-2 protein which is anti-apoptotic in MCF-7 cells. The HPL also decreased the viability of MCF-7 cells by dose-dependent. The viability test also showed that the cells entered the apoptosis process. The HPL treatment decreased the activity of p-ERK, p-JNK, p-AKT and p-mTOR in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: The HPL induces apoptosis and inhibits AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways in breast cancer. This study revealed that HPL can be used as a potential anticancer agent in breast cancer treatment as it induces the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of HPL on human breast cancer cell MCF-7.