ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC AND NATURALLY-OCCURRING FLAVONOIDS ON TUMOR-CELLS OF THE HUMAN-BREAST CARCINOMA CELL-LINE, ZR-75-1

  • 1 April 1989
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (1) , 69-78
Abstract
An examination was made of the effects of 21 synthetic and naturally occurring flavonoids on the in vitro growth of cells of the human breast carcinoma, ZR-75-1. In all cases, antiproliferative effects were noted, with an IC50 ranging from 2.7 to 33.5 .mu.g/ml, except for the isoflavonoid, daidzin (IC50 > 50 .mu.g/ml). No significant structure-activity relationship among the compounds could be found. Flavone, 6-hydroxyflavone and 4'',5''7-trihydroxyflavone (apigenin) were the most potent with IC50 of 2.7, 3.4, and 3.5 .mu.g/ml, respectively. The flavonoid effects observed here were not due to cytostatic action alone, since cell death was found to increase dose-dependently, according to the results of a dye exclusion test.