Vitex Berries Attenuates Chemically-Induced Mammary Carcinomas in Rats through modulation of the cancer growth rate-limiting enzymes activities: aromatase and Na+/K+ ATPase.

El-Newary, Samah A; Youness, Eman R; Ibrahim, Abeer

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2023.234925.8567

Vitex Berries Attenuates Chemically-Induced Mammary Carcinomas in Rats through modulation of the cancer growth rate-limiting enzymes activities: aromatase and Na+/K+ ATPase.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department, National Research Centre

² Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical Research Institute, National Research Centre

³ Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ejchem.2023.234925.8567

Abstract

Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus) berries have shown potent antioxidant, selective anti-inflammatory against cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), and cytotoxicity effect against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), as we recorded in our previous study”. Also, we found that Ethanolic extract (70%) and its ethyl acetate fraction have exhibited anti-tumor ability on Ehrlich's Ascites Carcinoma in mice model please explain these results in the present study or other previous study. The present study was planned to evaluate the protective and therapeutic effects of berries ethanolic extract and its ethyl acetate fraction on breast cancer using a 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced breast cancer model. Results showed that Vitex materials exhibited protective and therapeutic effects on chemically-induced breast cancer Sprague-Dawley female rats, where breast cancer biomarkers including the number of tumor devolved, weight and volume of tumor mass, and carcinoembryonic antigen level were significantly reduced compared to the cancer control group. Interestingly, the therapeutic effects of vitex materials were better than the protective effects, and ethyl acetate fraction was more effective than ethanolic extract. Finally, the obtained data showed that Vitex ethanolic extract (70%) and its ethyl acetate fraction can protect and treat chemically-induced breast cancer with a good safety margin. Vitex struggled with chemically-induced breast cancer through inhibition of the overexpression of cancer growth rate-limiting enzymes; Na+/K+ ATPase and aromatase as well as estrogen overproduction. Also, Vitex prevented overexpression of COX-2 and oxidative stress.

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