Advances in Biology & Earth Sciences

Breast cancer remains a significant public health challenge and a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide, emphasizing the need for novel therapeutic approaches. From this perspective, plant-derived treatments are increasingly preferred due to their minimal side effects and cost-effectiveness. The present study evaluates the antioxidant and anticancer potential of Prosopis cineraria seed extracts against the MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. The seeds of Prosopis cineraria were subjected to solvent extraction using diethyl ether (PSDE) and ethanol (PSEE) solvents. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids and tannins. The presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds was further confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy and FTIR analysis. Furthermore, key phytochemical constituents were identified through GC-MS analysis. The IC₅₀ values of the PSEE extract were 196.49 µg/mL for the DPPH assay and 192.04 µg/mL for the nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay, indicating antioxidant activity against free radicals. In contrast, PSDE exhibited comparatively higher IC₅₀ values, implying lower antioxidant potential. Furthermore, cytotoxic activity was assessed using the MTT assay on MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cells and MCF-10A human breast cells. The results indicate that both extracts produced a concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability in MCF-7 cells. PSEE demonstrated comparatively higher cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ = 274.17 µg/mL) than PSDE (IC₅₀ = 397.36 µg/mL) on MCF-7 cells. Both the extracts did not show cytotoxic effect on MCF-10A cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) analysis indicated a loss of mitochondrial integrity in treated cells, especially with PSEE. Further confirmation of apoptosis was obtained through dual staining with AO and EtBr, revealing morphological features such as programmed cell death. PSEE-treated cells showed higher levels of early and late-stage apoptotic bodies compared to PSDE. These findings suggest that the PSEE and PSDE extracts possess in-vitro antioxidant activity against DPPH and nitric oxide radials and show anticancer effect on MCF-7 cells potentially through the induction of apoptosis and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential.