title: Cytotoxic effects of butanolic extract from Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) on cultured human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.
abstract: Roots of Pfaffia paniculata have been well documented for multifarious therapeutic values and have also been used for cancer therapy in folk medicine. This study has been performed in a human breast tumor cell line, the MCF-7 cells. These are the most commonly used model of estrogen-positive breast cancer, and it has been originally established in 1973 at the Michigan Cancer Foundation from a pleural effusion taken from a woman with metastatic breast cancer. Butanolic extract of the roots of P. paniculata showed cytotoxic effect MCF-7 cell line, as determined with crystal violet assay, cellular death with acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, and cell proliferation with immunocytochemistry of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Subcellular alterations were evaluated by electron microscopy. Cells treated with butanolic extract showed degeneration of cytoplasmic components and profound morphological and nuclear alterations. The results show that this butanolic extract indeed presents cytotoxic substances, and its fractions merit further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia Kazumi
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nagamine
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Kátia Cristina
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Pinello
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cogliati
authors.forename: Célia Regina
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: Gokithi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akisue
authors.forename: Mitsue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: Silvana Lima
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Górniak
authors.forename: Idércio Luiz
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Sinhorini
authors.forename: Kurapati Venkata Kesava
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: José Alexandre Marzagão
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barbuto
authors.forename: Maria Lúcia Zaidan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dagli
mesh_terms: D027703:Amaranthaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D000440:Butanols; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine