Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

4 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

5 DVM Graduate, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

There has been a prevailing trend in the application of herbal medicine as cancer therapeutics. Calotropis procera is an ayurvedic plant applied to ameliorate various illnesses. There is no report on the anti-tumor effects of the root of the plant on canine tumors, although it has been used for the treatment of various diseases in human medicine. The objective of the present study was to investigate the antitumor potential of ethanolic root extract of C. procera against canine mammary tumor cell line (CF41-Mg). MTT, western blot, and flow cytometry assays were carried out to evaluate the possible cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction of the extract. MTT results showed that the extract had a potent cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 9.00 μg mL-1. Based on the results of flow cytometry and western blotting, IC50 concentration of the extract induced significant apoptosis in the studied cell line, possibly through down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression. The results of the present study clearly indicated that the root extract of C. procera had promising anti-cancer activity and could be considered as a candidate for the treatment of mammary tumors.

Keywords

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