Apoptosis induced in human breast cancer cell line by Acanthaster planci starfish extract compared to tamoxifen

Abstract

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women all over the world. Current chemotherapeutic drugs for breast cancer such as tamoxifen show severe side effects. Therefore, there is a focus toward new chemotherapeutic agents to be obtained from natural sources. This study was carried out to evaluate cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of the Acanthaster planci starfish extract compared to tamoxifen in human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. The extract was obtained using phosphate buffered saline. MTS assay and Annexin V assay were performed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect and apoptotic effect, respectively. The extract was found to inhibit the growth of MCF-7 cells (IC50=15.6 µg/ml) and induced apoptosis (52.9% after 1 h treatment and 63.9% after 2 h treatment). This apoptotic effect was more potent and earlier than the apoptotic effect induced by tamoxifen. These data suggest that A. planci starfish extract may be utilized as potential chemotherapeutic agents to be used in the treatment of human breast cancer.