title: Comparative analysis of the cytotoxic effect of 7-prenyloxycoumarin compounds and herniarin on MCF-7 cell line.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  7-prenyloxycoumarins are a group of secondary metabolites that are found mainly in plants belonging to the Rutaceae and Umbelliferae families. This study was designed to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of 7-prenyloxycoumarin compounds and herniarin on MCF-7, a breast carcinoma cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells were cultured in RPMI medium and incubated with different concentrations of auraptene, herniarin, umbelliferone, and umbelliprenin. Cell viability was quantified by MTT assay. Apoptotic cells were determined using propidium iodide staining of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry (sub-G1peak). Bax protein expression was detected by western blot to investigate the underlying mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Doses which induced 50% cell growth inhibition (IC50) against MCF-7 cells with auraptene, herniarin, umbelliferone, and umbelliprenin were calculated (59.7, 207.6, 476.3, and 73.4 µM), respectively. Auraptene induced a sub-G1 peak in the flow cytometry histogram of treated cells compared to control cells, and DNA fragmentation suggested the induction of apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that auraptene significantly up-regulated Bax expression in MCF-7 cells compared to untreated controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auraptene exerts cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in breast carcinoma cell line and can be considered for further mechanistic evaluations in human cancer cells. These results candidate auraptene for further studies to evaluate its biosafety and anti-cancer effects.
authors.affiliation: Medical Toxicology Research Centre, Mashhad, University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ; Pharmacological Research Centre of Medicinal Plants, School of Medicine, Mashhad, University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hadi
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Medical Toxicology Research Centre, Mashhad, University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Atiyeh-Sadat
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Davari
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iranshahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Sarvenaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabouri-Rad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tayarani Najaran
keywords: 7-Prenyloxycoumarins; Apoptosis; Bax; Cytotoxicity; MCF-7