title: Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Ziziphus Jujube on cervical and breast cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ziziphus Jujube (Jujube) plant has exhibited numerous medicinal and pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was carried out to investigate its anti-cancer and pro-apoptotic abilities in human cervical and breast cancer cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cervical OV2008 and breast MCF-7 cancer cells were incubated with different concentrations of Jujube aqueous extraction (0-3 mg/ml) for various times (0-72 h). Cell viability was assessed by Trypan Blue and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of two apoptosis-related genes in treated cells evaluated by quantitative Real Time -PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Jujube significantly inhibited cancer cell viability in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Herb-induced apoptosis was associated with enhanced expression of Bax and decreased Bcl2 gene leading eventually to a time-dependent six fold increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that Jujube may be a natural potential and promising agent to prevent or treat human cancers.
authors.affiliation: Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran ; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abedini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Payam-e Noor University of Esfahan, Esfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Nafiseh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erfanian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Payam-e Noor University of Esfahan, Esfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Habibollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nazem
authors.affiliation: Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.affiliation: Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran ; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
authors.forename: Reyhane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoshyar
keywords: Apoptosis; Breast cancer; Cervical cancer; Ziziphus Jujube