Cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of Vernonia amygdalina Delile. fractions against Hs578t triple-negative breast cancer cell lines

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer whose treatment is significantly more complicated than that for other forms of breast cancer. Chemotherapy is now the mainstay of treatment, but it often causes adverse effects for patients, making nature-based therapies an alternative. Aim of the study: Vernonia amygdalina is a medicinal plant with significant potential to be utilised as a chemo-preventive agent due to its exceptional antioxidant qualities. This research aims to evaluate the anticancer properties of this plant on Hs587t breast cancer cells. Methods: The extract was extracted using ethanol and fractionated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate, then separated by column chromatography. The toxicity was tested on the Hs587t cell line using the micro-tetrazolium technique. The three best subfractions for phytochemical constituents were analyzed using LC–HRMS. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the patterns of apoptosis and cell cycle. Results: Cytotoxicity on cells showed that subfractions 1, 2, and 3 (IC50 13.76 ± 0.10, 4.57 ± 0.22, and 9.77 ± 0.27 µg/mL) were the best. This subfraction induces both early and late apoptosis while inhibiting the advancement of the G2−M phase of the cell cycle. Conclusion: The study found that subfractions 1, 2, and 3 of V. amygdalina leaves demonstrated significant anticancer properties against breast cancer. This was observed through their toxicity and ability to induce apoptosis in Hs587t cells. However, additional clinical trial investigations are necessary to obtain more dependable outcomes. © 2024 The Author(s)