Toxicity evaluation of some traditional African spices on breast cancer cells and isolated rat hepatic mitochondria.
BACKGROUND
Fagara leprieuri (FL), Fagara xanthoxyloïdes (FX), Mondia whitei (MW) and Xylopia aethiopica (XA) are used in many African countries as food spices or in traditional medicine to treat several maladies. In this work, we (a) investigate whether the crude spice extracts present selective cytotoxicity for breast cancer cell lines and (b) investigate whether the same extracts affect the bioenergetics and calcium susceptibility of isolated liver mitochondrial fractions.


RESULTS
All extracts were cytotoxic to the cell lines studied, with the exception of MW, which was less toxic for a normal cell line. Interestingly, some of the extracts did not depolarize mitochondria in intact breast cancer MCF-7 cells, although this effect was observed in a normal breast cancer cell line (MCF-12A). All extracts increased hepatic mitochondrial state 2/4 respiration and decreased the respiratory control ratio and the transmembrane electric potential. Also, the extracts induced the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT).


CONCLUSIONS
Mitochondrial toxicity may be part of the mechanism by which the spices tested cause inhibition of proliferation and death in the cell lines tested. This study also warrants caution in the excessive use of these spices for human consumption.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, B.P. 812 Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Aphrodite T
AT
Choumessi
Rute
R
Loureiro
Ana M
AM
Silva
Ana C
AC
Moreira
Anatole C
AC
Pieme
Asonganyi
A
Tazoacha
Paulo J
PJ
Oliveira
Véronique B
VB
Penlap
D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D027821:Rutaceae / Q000633:toxicity; D017365:Spices / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D054336:Xylopia / Q000633:toxicity
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D053148:Caspase 3