Anti-proliferative Efficiency of Pulsed Electric Field Treated Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Extracts on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Our work includes the study of synergistic efficiency of turmeric crude extracts and electrical pulses on breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 (an Estrogen Receptor alpha positive, weakly invasive, luminal epithelial-like). We assessed the bioactive compounds present in this extract by qualitative phytochemical screening tests. The antioxidant, phenolic and anticancer activity of untreated and pulsed extracts were analyzed quantitatively. Here, ethanolic turmeric crude extracts were extracted by using conventional method and are subjected to varying electric field from 2.5 to 7.5 kV/cm with constant pulse interval and pulse duration as 100 ms and 100 µs, respectively, by using ECM830 Electroporator. Effect of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) on antioxidant, phenolic and anticancer activity of turmeric extract was studied and compared with the untreated extract. Antioxidant and phenolic activity were obtained by using DPPH assay and Folin–Ciocalteu Method respectively, in which the PEF treated extracts showed significantly higher activity than the untreated extracts. Electric pulses of high intensity, low duration (EP1 = 200 V/cm, 100 µs, 8 pulses) and low intensity high duration (EP2 = 500 V/cm, 20 ms, 8 pulses) are used in this study. Cell viabilities were measured after 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment. The results indicate cell viabilities of 19.41% (raw extract), 14.75% (pulsed extract), 13.28% (pulsed extract + EP1) and 9.982% (Pulsed extract + EP2) after 72 h of treatment for 1000 µg/ml concentration. This shows the potential of the synergistic effect of electric pulses+pulsed turmeric extracts as it achieved more cell death and hence, this treatment can be used as an effective treatment to treat breast cancer without any side effects.

Keywords:

• Antioxidants
• Breast cancer
• Curcuma longa
• Cytotoxicity
• Electroporation
• Extracts
• Phenolic activity

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Anna Centenary Research Fellowship Award given by Anna University, Guindy.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Anna Centenary Research Fellowship Award given by Anna University, Guindy.

Notes on contributors

S. Poompavai

S Poompavai received the BE degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Prince Shri Venkateshwara Padmavathy Engineering College, Anna University in 2013. She received her ME degree in high voltage engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, in 2015, and at present she is a research student in the division of high voltage engineering, Anna University, and Chennai, India. She has received Anna Centenary Research Fellowship award. Her research interests include application of pulsed electric fields to cancer, modeling of breast cancer, enhancing the extraction of bioactive compounds, study of effectiveness of natural herbal sources as an alternative chemotherapeutic drug.

V. Gowri Sree

V Gowri Sree received her doctorate in high voltage engineering in 2008 from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, India. She is presently an associate professor in the same University with over 25 years of teaching experience. She has contributed a chapter to the book, titled, “Electroporation-based Therapies for Cancer: from Basics to Clinical Applications” (Wood head Publishing, 2014). Her current research topics are application of high voltage engineering for cancer treatment and enhanced bioactive compound extraction. Email: [email protected]