Curcumin and extracellular matrix proteins synergistically act to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells

Aim: Natural substances have been gaining attention as they are accessible, cheap and associated with milder adverse effects as compared with conventional treatment. Curcumin is polyphenol derived from turmeric plant and is known to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimetastatic effects. In the present work, the effect of curcumin individually and in combination with extracellular matrix proteins has been systematically studied on the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Materials & methods: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to screen the effect of various concentrations of curcumin on MCF-7 cells. Flow cytometry and caspase-3 assays were done to detect apoptosis. Nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species generation levels were also examined as both are known to play very important roles in cancer initiation and progression. Results: It was observed that at low concentrations curcumin exhibited significant antiproliferative activity which was supported with increased apoptosis and reduced levels of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Moreover, the combined treatment of curcumin and proteins further boosted the antiproliferative effect of low concentrations of curcumin indicating that they act synergistically to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Conclusion: This finding could be further investigated for development of novel anticancer therapies.