Anti-tumor potential of ethanol extract of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton against breast cancer cells

Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton is a commonly prescribed Chinese medical herb for tumor therapy. In this study, an extract of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton referred as Cpv was prepared and its anti-tumor effect was evaluated with MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton power was extracted with ethanol and the main components of the extract (Cpv) were analyzed with HPLC. The effect of Cpv on MCF-7 cells proliferation, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta psi m), apoptosis, apoptotic related proteins, MDA-MB-231 cell migration, and integrins expression were determined. Furthermore, the effect of Coy on some key signal transduction molecules was also investigated. Furanodienone, germacrone and furanodiene were identified as the main components of Cpv. Cpv treatment significantly inhibited cell proliferation, increased LDH release, induced intracellular ROS formation, and decreased Delta psi m in a dose-dependent manner in MCF-7 cells. Cpv induced apoptosis without affecting cell migration. Cpv increased protein expression of Bax, PARP, cleaved PARP, caspase-3, 7, JNK1, p-p42/44MAPK, NF-kappa B, IKK alpha, IKK beta, decreased protein expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bim, Bik, Bad, integrin 135, p42/44MAPK without affecting integrin alpha 5, beta 1, and p38MAPK protein expression. We concluded that Cpv inhibited MCF-7 cells proliferation by inducing apoptosis mediated by increasing ROS formation, decreasing Delta psi m, regulating BcI-2 family proteins expression, and activating caspases. Cpv treatment also modulated several signaling transduction pathways. These results might provide some molecular basis for the anti-tumor activity of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton. (C) 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.