The Antioxidant and Proapoptotic Effects of Sternbergia clusiana Bulb Ethanolic Extract on Triple-Negative and Estrogen-Dependent Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Mona El Samarji; Maria Younes; Marianne El Khoury; Tony Haykal; Nazira Elias; Natalia Gasilova; Laure Menin; Ahmad Houri; Nisrine Machaka-Houri; Sandra Rizk

doi:10.3390/plants12030529

The Antioxidant and Proapoptotic Effects of Sternbergia clusiana Bulb Ethanolic Extract on Triple-Negative and Estrogen-Dependent Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jan 24;12(3):529. doi: 10.3390/plants12030529.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon.
² Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut 1102-2801, Lebanon.
⁴ Department of Life and Earth Science, Faculty of Sciences, Saint Joseph University, Ras Maska 1104-2020, Lebanon.

Abstract

Background: Sternbergia clusiana belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is recognized for the valuable biological activity of its major bioactive compounds. The aim of the current is to evaluate the anticancer effects of the ethanolic bulb extract of Sternbergia clusiana (ScBEE) on breast cancer cells in vitro and to further reveal the underlying cellular mechanism.

Methods: An MTS cell viability assay was performed on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, along with cell cycle analysis, cell death ELISA, Western blot analysis and an ROS production assay to decipher the mechanism of death. LC-MS/MS was also performed to identify the chemical composition of this ethanolic extract.

Results: The results show a selective antiproliferative effect on both cell lines with no effect on normal mesenchymal stem cells. Further analysis suggested the activation of the apoptotic pathway as reflected by the increase in cellular and DNA fragmentation and alterations in apoptotic proteins such as Bax, Bcl-2 and c-PARP. ScBEE was also found to exhibit antioxidant effect, as shown by a decrease in ROS production. The underlying mechanism of action was explained by the presence of several bioactive compounds identified by LC-MS/MS, including alkaloids, terpenoids and phenols, which are elaborated in the manuscript.

Conclusion: This study highlights the antioxidant and anticancerous properties of S.clusiana for breast cancer treatment.

Keywords: Sternbergia clusiana; antioxidant; apoptosis; breast cancer; phytochemicals.

Grants and funding

The project was funded by intramural funds from the Department of Natural Science, Lebanese American University, to secure space, equipment and consumables.