Traganum nudatum Possesses Anticancer Efficacy against Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells

Background: Medicinal plants are effective sources for both traditional and modern medicines; herbal medicine has been shown to have genuine utility. 80% of rural population depends on natural products as primary health care. Traganum nudatum (T. nudatum) is a medicinal plant widely used in alternative medicine. T. nudatum has not been greatly investigated for its anticancer potential.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anticancer efficacy of T. nudatum against breast cancer cell line; MDA-MB-231.

Materials and Methods: Extracts of T. nudatum were evaluated to assess their in vitro cytotoxicity against the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Leaves, flowers, and stems of T. nudatum were extracted by using 70 % ethanol. the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were used to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of these extracts against MDA-MB-231 cell line. The apoptotic cellular morphological changes were investigated using inverted and fluorescence microscopes.

Results: The results showed that T. nudatum extracts exhibited anticancer activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 150 µg/mL against MDA-MB-231 cell line. Loss of cell integrity, shrinkage of the cytoplasm, and cell detachment were observed in the extract-treated MDA-MB-231 cells.

Conclusion: T. nudatum extracts showed cytotoxic effects against MDA-MB-231 cell line. It may be used as a future medication to cure breast cancer.