Antioxidant and apoptotic effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester induced marked inhibition on human breast cancer cell line

Abstract

Cancer is a disease that is marked by high cell proliferation and metastasis which remains incurable even now. The present study aims at investigating the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) against human carcinogenesis. This fact was established in vitro by our assessment of a ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line. Present data showed that 15 μM CAPE induced a significant inhibition of cell viability after 48 h (nearly 50%). Cell death was characterized by morphology and chromatin condensation changes, of a typical apoptosis. Moreover, there was a scavenging reduction activity in vitro towards both nitric oxide (>47%) and superoxide dismutase reduction (169.3±3.7 μU L-1). In addition, malondialdehyde was non significantly inhibited compared with untreated tumor cells. The CAPE has significant inhibitory and anti-proliferative effects on tumor cancer cells in vitro. This inhibition may be related to its antioxidant effects and achieved throughout its apoptotic effect. These findings provide the possibility for the future use of CAPE in human clinical trials therapy.