Examination of Thymoquinone effect on breast cancer cell line

Introduction: Thymoquinone (TQ) is an active herbal compound derived from Nigella sativa. The seeds of N. sativa have long been used in the Middle and Far East as a traditional medicine for a wide range of illnesses. It has been shown that TQ has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anticancer, antiinflammatoryand analgesic activity. We investigated the lethal effects of TQ on the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effect of TQ on MCF7 cell line. Using MTT assay, we determined the lethal dose of TQ and then applied RT PCR to examine changes at expression levels of genes involved in cell survival and apoptosis.Results: Our preliminary data indicates the potential of TQ in inducing death in our cancer cell line. We are investigating the apoptotic nature of TQ-induced cell death and examining changes in intracellular apoptosis signaling pathways Conclusion: In general thymoquinone has shown inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation.