Anti carcinogenic activity of Methanolic Extract of Fennel Seeds (Foeniculum vulgare) against breast, colon, and liver cancer cells.

Cancer is a disease of gene disorder that occurs in the normal processes of cell division. Undesirable side effects of chemotherapy and surgery have triggered the search of new compounds from plant to fight cancer because they are relatively safer than synthetic drugs. Apoptosis is a process of internally programmed cell death. It plays important roles in cancer development and treatment, thus the ability of bioactive compounds to increase the sensitivity of cancerous cells towards cellular damage and activate the apoptotic response is the most desirable. Foeniculum vulgare has been used as folk medicine for various ailments. Foeniculum vulgare, one of the most common use in Egyptian kitchen as a spice and beverage as well as in traditional medicine for its estrogenic, lactagouge, diuretic, antioxidant, immune booster and its usefulness in dyspepsia. That makes studies of their anticarcinogenic very essential. It has been reported to contain 6.3% of moisture, 9.5% protein, 10% fat, 13.4% minerals, 18.5% fibre and 42.3% carbohydrates. The minerals and vitamins present in Foeniculum vulgare are calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. Therefore, cancer prevention effects using anticarcinogenicity, showed clear variation between different treated and non treated cancer cells. Foeniculum vulgare has various biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and antimelanogenesis effects. To study the anticarcinogenic activity of Foeniculum vulgare in MCF-7 (Human breast cancer cell line), HePG-2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line), and HCT 116(colon carcinoma cell line). Foeniculum vulgare extracts were prepared by Soxhlet extraction method using methanol as a solvent. The cytotoxicity activity of the plant extracts was determined using sulphodiamine-B assay (SRB assay). . Detremenation of proteins in cancer cell lines by SDS polyacylamide gel electrophoresis. DNA fragmentation induced by the plant extracts was evaluated through DNA extraction using agarose gel electrophoresis. RNA extraction to evaluate the expression of genes P53 and Bax genes using Semi-quantitave RT-PCR analysis. Results & Discussion: SRB assay results showed that MCF7 cells were inhibited by all the extracts with IC50 24.5±.08 while IC50 of HEPG-2 is 28.7±.04 and IC50 of HCT 116 is 59.8±.09?g/ml. SDS polyacylamide gel electrophoresis showed clear variation between different classes of treated and nontreated cancer cells. DNA extracted from treated cells showed fragmentation of the DNA was observed between treated and non treated (control) cancer cells suggesting the occurrence of apoptosis. RT-PCR analysis showed increase in expression of genes P53 and Bax genes.