Magnolia dealbata seeds extract exert cytotoxic and chemopreventive effects on MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells

Context: Cancer prevention remains a high priority for the scientific world. Magnolia dealbata Zucc (Magnoliaceae), a Mexican endemic species, is used for the empirical treatment of cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the cytotoxic and cancer chemopreventive effects of an ethanol extract of Magnolia dealbata seeds (MDE).

Materials and methods: The cytotoxic effect of MDE, at concentrations ranging from 1 to 200?µg/ml, on human cancer cells and human nontumorigenic cells was evaluated using the MTT assay for 48?h. The apoptotic activities of MDE 25?μg/ml on MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells were evaluated using the TUNEL assay and the detection of caspase 3 using immunofluorescence analysis for 48?h, each. The chemopreventive effect was evaluated by administrating different doses of MDE, between 1 and 50?mg/kg, injected intraperitoneally daily into athymic mice which were implanted with MDA-MB231 cells during 28 days. The growth and weight of tumors were measured.

Results: MDE showed cytotoxic effects on MDA-MB231 cells (IC₅₀?=?25?µg/ml) and exerted pro-apoptotic activities as determined by DNA fragmentation in MDA-MB231 cells. MDE 25?µg/ml also induces the activation of caspase 3 in MDA-MB231 cells. These results suggest that Magnolia dealbata may be an optimal source of the bioactive compounds: honokiol (HK) and magnolol (MG). MDE 50?mg/kg i.p. exerted chemopreventive effects by inhibiting the growth of MDA-MB231 tumor by 75% in athymic mice, compared to the control group.

Conclusions: MDE exerts cytotoxic, apoptotic and chemopreventive activities on MDA-MB231 human cancer cells.