Melittin-Induced Cell Death Through p53 and 8-OHdG in Breast Cell Cancer MCF-7

Abstract

Melittin, one of the cytolytic peptides derived from bee venom, is a broad-spectrum efficacy candidate as an antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor agent. This study demonstrates the cytotoxic effect of melittin isolated from Apis mellifera through the induction of p53 and 8-OHdG. The antiproliferative effect was evaluated against breast cell cancer MCF-7 via MTT assay, while the molecular mechanism of melittin on MCF-7 was assayed by p53 and 8-OHdG ELISA. With an IC50 value of 5.86 µg/mL ((very toxic)), the cytotoxic impact inhibits MCF-7 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Significant (p < 0.05) elevations in the level of p53 and 8-OHdG were evident in the IC50-treated cells compared to control. In conclusion, melittin may have considerable potential as a novel natural product-based for breast cancer.