Purpose: Flaxseeds were shown to have anticancerogenic properties on breast cancer. In this work, an extract of roots of Linum usitatissimum was tested on MCF-7 and BT20 mamma carcinoma cells in vitro.
Methods: The extract was produced by an ethanolic extraction method and its chemical composition was afterwards analysed by pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry. The extract was tested in concentrations from 0.01 to 1,000 μg/mL. Its effects were detected by measuring the influence on cell lethality, viability and proliferation.
Results: The extract was shown to contain mainly sterols and triterpenes (21.4 %), free fatty acids (17.8 %), lignin dimers (12.2 %) and lipids (7.7 %). High concentrations of the extract caused significant cell lethality and suppression of cell vitality and proliferation.
Conclusions: In this study, it was shown for the first time that an extract made of flaxroots caused different anticancerogenic effects on MCF-7 and BT20 cells in vitro. The extract supposably acts as a plantal multicomponent mixture, whereas the main active agents are not yet indentified and can only be suggested. Summarized, roots of flax may contain potential agents in the therapy of mamma carcinomas. Further investigations have to be carried out.