Cytotoxicity of Essential Oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides L against Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

Wu Jia-liang, Ma Dan-wei, Wang Ya-nan, Zhang Hong, He Bing, Li Qun, Zou Zhi-yan and Feng Jing

College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China.

*For correspondence: Email: danwei10ma@163.com; Tel: +86-13699478376

Received: 17 April 2013                                                Revised accepted: 25 October 2013

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, December 2013; 12(6): 929-933

Purpose: To investigate the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

Methods: Cytotoxicity was characterized by 50 % inhibition (IC₅₀) of human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthaizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was analysed by Hoechst33258 staining and DNA ladder. MCF-7 cellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) vitality and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were evaluated.

Results: The essential oil was cytotoxic to MCF-7 cell line. A dose- and time-dependent inhibition was observed with IC₅₀ values of 18.75, 9.45 and 10.50 μg/ml at 6, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Analyses by Hoechst33258 staining and DNA ladder indicate that the essential oil induced apoptosis. SOD vitality significantly decreased (p＜ 0.05) by 51 % when the concentration of the essential oil increased from 1.25 to 12.5 μg/ml while CAT vitality significantly increased (p ＜ 0.05) by 71 % when essential oil concentration was similarly increased. The MDA content of each treatment group, when compare to control, did not show any significant difference (p ＜ 0.05).

Conclusion: The essential oil of C. ambrosioides was cytotoxic to MCF-7 cell line and induced apoptosis.