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The apoptotic effect of the Lycopodium clavatum extracts on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

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Abstract

Breast cancer is a significant health problem worldwide, and the search for effective treatments is critical. Side effects of cancer treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy reduce the patient’s standard of living. Recently, natural compounds from plants have gained attention as potential anticancer agents due to their safety, low toxicity, and potential efficacy. Lycopodium Clavatum (LC) is an herb abundant in tropical regions and Europe and is known for its various medicinal properties. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of LC Water Extract (LC-WE) and LC Ethanol Extract (LC-EE) plant extracts on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Our results showed that LC treatment led to a dose and time-dependent cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells, indicating its potential as an anticancer agent against human breast cancer. Additionally, we observed that LC treatment activated apoptosis-related proteins, including BAX, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9. These results suggest that LC may induce apoptosis as a mechanism underlying its cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Previous studies have shown the anti-cancer potential of LC against different types of cancer. However, the anti-cancer effect of LC on human breast cancer cells has not been investigated to date. Therefore, our study provides novel insights into the potential of LC as an anti-cancer agent against breast cancer. Overall, our results highlight the potential of LC as a promising natural compound for breast cancer treatment.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Yozgat Bozok University Project Coordination Application and Research Center (Grant Number TGA-2022-982) for their financial support. We appreciate Assoc. Dr. Bala Gür Dedeoğlu for giving the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. We want to thank Ankara University Biotechnology Institute, whose infrastructure was used during the study.

Funding

This study was supported by the Yozgat Bozok University Project Coordination Application and Research Center under Grant Number TGA-2022-982.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics, Gulhane Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences University, Ankara, Turkey

    Yusuf Kucukbagriacik

  2. Yozgat Bozok University, Medical School, Yozgat, Turkey

    Yusuf Kucukbagriacik

  3. Faculty of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, Ankara Medipol University, Ankara, Turkey

    Mohammadreza Dastouri

  4. Department of Medical Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey

    Humeyra Yilmaz

  5. Biotechnology Institute & SİSBİOTEK, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Evrim Gunes Altuntas

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  1. Yusuf Kucukbagriacik
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  2. Mohammadreza Dastouri
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  4. Evrim Gunes Altuntas
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Contributions

Conceptualization, YK, MD; methodology, YK, MD; investigation, YK, MD, EGA, and HY; formal analysis, YK, MD, writing-original draft preparation, YK, MD, and HY; writing, review, and editing, YK, MD, EGA, and HY; funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mohammadreza Dastouri.

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Kucukbagriacik, Y., Dastouri, M., Yilmaz, H. et al. The apoptotic effect of the Lycopodium clavatum extracts on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Med Oncol 40, 289 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02159-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-023-02159-7

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