Flavonoid Effects on Breast Cancer Cells

For centuries, human populations around the world have used flavonoids to cure a wide range of ailments. These compounds are present in a variety of plants and plant products, many of which we consume in our diet, where they exist abundantly within photosynthesizing cells. Increasing resistance of bacteria and viruses to commonly used antimicrobial agents has spurred research into the medicinal properties of flavonoids. Many research groups have isolated and identified structures of flavonoids with antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial function, while others have demonstrated synergistic effects between flavonoids themselves and with chemotherapeutics. The structural backbone of these active flavonoids consists of two benzene rings linked through a heterocyclic pyrane ring. Flavonoid compounds have been reported showing anti-inflammatory, oestrogenic, antimicrobial, antiallergic, and antioxidant activity. They have also been known to possess cytotoxic antitumor properties and to inhibit a wide range of eukaryotic enzymes. Our particular compound of interest, MA-1-45-F4, was isolated by Dr. Gil Belofsky’s lab through screening for activity against oxicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). The compound, which comes from a prairie clover legume, Dalea Searlsiae, is active at a range of 0.1-10 micrograms per milliliter. We were interested in also testing the chemotherapeutic properties of this particular compound. Cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States, kills nearly 1,500 people each day. Although there is a selection of chemotherapeutic drugs in the market, most are not specific to interfering with the growth of solely cancer cells, and therefore come with extremely detrimental side effects. Our goal with this experiment was to find a concentration of the isolated compound that would inhibit the growth of MCF7 breast cancer cells, while having no impact on healthy cells of the body. We narrowed down the range of flavonoid activity to 0.10 to 10.0 micrograms per milliliter. In these concentrations, the MCF7 cells stopped growing and some apoptosis occurred. The next step is to perform an MTT assay to determine the metabolic effects of the drugs on the cancer cells, and to also test the drug on healthy mouse muscle tissue cells. By finding a new compound that inhibits cancer cell growth, we can increase the options available for chemotherapy patients and potentially save lives