title: Effects of Galium aparine extract on the cell viability, cell cycle and cell death in breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galium species have been traditionally used for its anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and cardioprotective effects in the folk medicine. Galium aparine (GA) is a typical climbing plant growing widespread in Anatolia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the potential anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect of GA methanol (MeOH) extract on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and MCF-10A untransformed breast epithelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, the extract was characterized by both liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/Q-TOF/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Then, cell viability and cell cycle distribution were investigated by XTT assay and PI staining by flow cytometry, respectively. Cell death was determined by Annexin V FITC/7-AAD staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 14 major phytochemicals were identified by LC/Q-TOF/MS and 34 volatile compounds were determined by GC-MS. The extract was cytotoxic in both breast cancer cell lines in a concentration and time dependent manner and showed G1 block after 72h extract treatment. However, it was not cytotoxic to MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. Flow cytometry analyses revealed that apoptosis was induced in MDA-MB-231 cells; however, necrosis was induced in MCF-7 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that GA MeOH extract may have potential anti-cancer effects against breast cancer cells without impairing normal breast epithelial cells. Ability to induction of non-apoptotic cell death besides apoptotic cell death by this complex plant-derived mixture may enable the killing of apoptosis resistant breast cancer cells but further studies should be conducted to investigate the bioavailability and metabolism of it in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Celal Bayar University, 45140 Muradiye, Manisa, Turkey. Electronic address: harika.atmaca@cbu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Harika
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atmaca
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Celal Bayar University, 45140 Muradiye, Manisa, Turkey. Electronic address: emrbzkrt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.affiliation: Section of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Letters, Celal Bayar University, 45140 Muradiye, Manisa, Turkey. Electronic address: mustafa.cittan@cbu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cittan
authors.affiliation: Section of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Letters, Celal Bayar University, 45140 Muradiye, Manisa, Turkey. Electronic address: hafize.dilek@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hafize
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dilek Tepe
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D032061:Galium; D006801:Humans; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Apoptosis; Breast cancer cells; Cytotoxicity; GC-MS; Galium aparine; LC/Q-TOF/MS; Necrosis