Anti-cancer effect of aloe emodin on breast cancer cells, MCF-7

Abstract

Phytochemicals of some plants are believed to have natural anti-proliferative properties to various cancer cells. Thus, they might have the potential as alternative choice for contemporary treatment as the latter are usually associated with many unpleasant side effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible anti-cancer effect of aloe emodin (AE; 1,8-Dihydroxy-3-hydro-xymethyl-anthraquinone) on estrogenpositive breast cancer cells, MCF-7. We were able to demonstrate the efficiency of AE, an antraquinone derivatives which are present in Aloe Vera leaves, in limiting the proliferation effect of MCF-7 cells in a dose and time dependent manner using WST-1 assay. Our preliminary result suggests that AE could be a promising natural candidate for future pharmacological study, targeting in breast cancer prevention strategies.