The evaluation of radio-sensitivity of mung bean proteins aqueous extract on MCF-7, hela and fibroblast cell line

Abstract

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women all over the world. Many of these women resist the common treatments. Therefore, it is important to find new products to increase the efficacy of the treatment process. Legume beans, with their various pharmacological properties, can be regarded as a sensitizer when they are combined with radiation. The present study strove to survey the radio-sensitivity effect of proteins isolated from mung bean aqueous extract on the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7), human cervical cancer cells (Hela) and the human dermal fibroblast cell line.

Materials and methods: The mung bean aqueous extract was partially purified by ammonium sulfate. At first, various concentrations of the extracts were used to evaluate the inhibitory activity by MTT cell proliferation assay.

Results: The results showed that MCF-7 cells and Hela cells were inhibited by an IC₅₀ value of less than 250 and 411 µg/ml, respectively, but it proved to have a proliferation effect on the fibroblast cells. Then, the cells were incubated with 250 µg/ml extract and exposed to 2, 4, and 6 Gy of X-ray radiation. The percentage of the cell survival was investigated through MTT and the clonogenic assay. Apoptosis was measured using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. The results demonstrated that the treated MCF-7 cells and Hela cells had significant radio-sensitivity compared with the results of the control group in radiation dose manner in all MTT, clonogenic, and apoptosis assays. In contrast, the treated fibroblast showed a protective effect against radiation.

Conclusion: The results suggest that mung bean proteins have the capacity to be regarded as a radio-sensitizer for breast cancer. Our results also indicated that it could be worth to investigate on mung bean proteins further and they should be tested in animal models for being treated in radiotherapy.

Keywords:

• Radio-sensitizers
• cancer
• radiotherapy
• ionizing radiation
• mung bean

Acknowledgments

Dr. Elmi designed the study, performed the data analysis, prepared the manuscript, approved the final version and supervised the study. Dr. Seyyed Hossein Mousavie Anijdan accomplished the experiments and interpreted the results. Mahnaz Joghatai and Ladan Barari collected the data and performed the biochemical and radiological analysis.

Disclosure statement

Authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Notes on contributors

Mahnaz Joghatai is a second-year master’s degree student in radiobiology and protection at Babol University of Medical Sciences. She is interested in radiobiology, radiosentitizes and radoprotectors.

Ladan Barari is a researcher in cellular and molecular biology research center at Babol University of Medical Sciences. She received her master of sciences in cell and molecular biology from Ardebil University. She is interested in cell culture, cancer treatment, and bioactive materials.

Dr. Seyyed Hossein Mousavie Anijdan is an Assistant Professor of Medical Physics at Babol University of Medical Sciences. He received his doctorate in Medical Physics from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. His recent published in Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (2016).

Dr. Maryam Mitra Elmi is an Assistant Professor of Biophysics at Babol University of Medical Sciences. She received her doctorate in Biophysics from Tehran University. Her recent publications include Food Biophysics (2017), Spectrochimica Acta Part A (2017). Her research interests include bioactive materials and their physicochemical properties, cancer diagnosis, radiosentitizes and radoprotectors.

Additional information

Funding

This investigation was financed by the Research Council of Babol University of Medical Sciences. It was a collaborative work by the Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, the Paramedical Department, and the Department of Biophysics in Babol University of Medical Sciences.