Use of Apricot Kernel Oil to Treat Breast Cancer as A Nutraceutical Adjuvant Therapy

Abstract

Breast cancer has become the leading cause of mortality due to cancers in women, worldwide. Limitations and resistance to the current therapies has resulted in poor quality of life for patients and decreased survival rates. Emerging studies propose the use of plants or plant based bioactive compound to treat multifactorial diseases termed as nutraceutical therapy. Such therapy has been shown to have an impact at molecular processes that are involved in cancer progression. Apricot and its kernel are found to be a significant source of bioactive compounds i.e., vitamins, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, phenols and flavonoids etc. which play important role to prevent diseases including carcinoma and myocardial artery disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of Prunus armeniaca kernel oil on two human breast cancer cell lines namely MCF-7 and MDA-MBA-231. The synergistic effect of kernel oil with commercially available drugs tamoxifen and fulvestrant were also measured by Chaou-talalay method. As Vitamin E is abundantly found in apricot kernel oil it has been investigated for its anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials through MTT, DPPH and protein denaturation assay. Both compounds were also investigated for their effects on DNA and RBCs through DNA stability and membrane stability assay. Evaluation shows both DNA and RBCs stability are not affected by AKO and vitamin E. The bioactive compounds of AKO and vitamin E have shown great antioxidant potential with IC50 at 9.306µl/ml and 10.43µl/ml, respectively. The IC50 in cytotoxicity assay has been evaluated at 24.73µl/ml and 27.15µl/ml for AKO and 41.59µM/ml for vitamin E on MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 The IC50 for anti-inflammatory activity was measured at 9.65µl/ml for AKO and 10.78µl/ml for vitamin E. Findings from research shows that AKO contains potent bioactive compounds to combat fatal illnesses.