• Studies of the effects and possible side effects of herbal medicines on breast cancer
  • Zahra Barati,1,*
    1. Master degree from Tehran University of Payam Noor_ Bachelor degree from Tabriz University.


  • Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common reasons of cancer mortality among women, and apoptosis is an important phenomenon for the destruction of cancer cells. Natural compounds with cytotoxic effects (apoptosis) are considered as potential therapists. In this paper, cytotoxic effects of 3 plants Zofa, Rosemary, and Mycelium on MCF-7 cells and Dana racemosa (hamishak) plants on 4T1 cells are studied and compared.
  • Methods: MCF-7 cells and 4T1 cells are cultured in RPMI1640 medium with 10% FBS, 5% CO2 and 37 ᴼ C in the presence of different concentrations of plant extracts. To assess the cytotoxic effect of the extract on the cells, the MTT colorimetric method is used and the survival rate of the cells is determined.
  • Results: The results of the MTT assessment of cancer cells that have been affected by different concentrations of the alcoholic extract of the perennial plant(Hamishak) have shown that it is highly depended on the number of plant cells and time. The results of the MTT test examined the ethereal petroleum extract and the ethyl acetate of the mycelium fungus shows that the effect of the cytotoxicity of ethyl acetate extract on MCF-7 cells was much greater. The effect of nysome containing rosemary essential oil was investigated and it was found that the percentage of cell viability decreased with increasing essential oil concentration, which was proportional to the increase in essential oil concentration. The MCF-7 cells were exposed to the methanolic extract of Zufa flowers, and at the same time, their survival rate was significantly reduced. The bioavailability of the methanolic extract of Zufa also reduced the chances of survival of MCF-7 cells.
  • Conclusion: this study argued that the methanol extract of Zofa in the lowest quantity among 4 studied plants was able to significantly reduce the chances of survival of MCF-7 cells. Considered of its fast rate and cost-effectiveness of the drug and high potential against MCF-7 cells.
  • Keywords: MCF-7 Cell Category, 4T1 Cell Category, Cytotoxic Effect, Herbal Extract, MTT Test