Impact of the Aqueous Extract of Bromelia pinguin on Cell Death Mechanisms in the MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Impact of the Aqueous Extract of Bromelia pinguin on Cell Death Mechanisms in the MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Authors

  • Nereida Montes-Castro Unidad de Investigaciones en Biotecnología Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Unidad Regional Culiacán, Boulevard Lola Beltrán S/N, 4 de marzo, C.P. 80054 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8998-782X
  • Elizabeth Méndez-Nevárez Programa Educativo de Ciencias Biomédicas, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Unidad Regional Culiacán, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Boulevard Lola Beltrán S/N, 4 de marzo, C.P. 80054 Culiacán, Sinaloa, México. Author
  • Marilyn Shomara Criollo-Mendoza Laboratorio de Alimentos Funcionales y Nutracéuticos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Unidad Culiacán. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0911-8350
  • Carmen Martínez-Valenzuela Laboratorio de Genotoxicología "Dr Jesus Kumate Rodriguez", Unidad de Investigación en Ambiente y Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Unidad Regional Los Mochis Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1784-9986
  • Sylvia Paz Díaz-Camacho Unidad de Investigaciones en Biotecnología Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Unidad Regional Culiacán, Boulevard Lola Beltrán S/N, 4 de marzo, C.P. 80054 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7273-8544
  • Israel García-Aguiar Unidad de Investigaciones en Biotecnología Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Unidad Regional Culiacán, Boulevard Lola Beltrán S/N, 4 de marzo, C.P. 80054 Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5171-5725

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63622/RBS.2405

Keywords:

Cancer, Breast cancer, phytochemicals, Bromelia penguin

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major global public health issue. In 2022, approximately 2.3 million new cases were reported, making it the most common cancer among women. In Mexico, it is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Several phytochemicals have shown potential to induce cell death and inhibit tumor growth. B. pinguin, a tropical plant from the Bromeliaceae family, has been traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and antimicrobial agent. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous B. pinguin extract on cell viability and apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Viability assays and Western blot analysis of key apoptotic proteins were performed. Results indicate that at the tested concentration, the extract does not induce apoptosis, as evidenced by partial processing of pro-caspase-3 and the absence of PARP1 cleavage. This study represents a preliminary exploration of the antitumor potential of Bromelia pinguin and highlights the need for further research.

References

Abreu-Payrol J, González-Mosquera DM, Meneses A, Cruz-de-la-Cruz ME, Banze F, Miranda-Martínez M, Ros-López O. 2005. Determinación de parámetros farmacognósticos y bromatológicos y evaluación de la actividad antiparasitaria de una preparación obtenida del fruto de bromelia pinguin L. que crece en Cuba. Acta Farm. Bonaerense. ISSN: 0326-2383.

Bianchini G, Balko JM, Mayer IA, Sanders ME, Gianni L. 2016. Triple-negative breast cancer: challenges and opportunities of a heterogeneous disease. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. 10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.66.

Chang TC, Wei PL, Makondi PT, Chen WT, Huang CY, Chang YJ. 2019. Bromelain inhibits the ability of colorectal cancer cells to proliferate via activation of ROS production and autophagy. Plos One. DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0210274.

Cragg GM, Grothaus PG, Newman DJ. 2014. New horizons for old drugs and drug leads. Journal of Natural Products. 10.1021/NP5000796/ASSET/IMAGES/MEDIUM/NP-2014-000796_0012.GIF.

Crowley LC, Marfell BJ, Christensen ME, Waterhouse NJ. 2016. Measuring cell death by trypan blue uptake and light microscopy. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. 10.1101/PDB.PROT087155.

Guimarães-Ferreira CA, Rodrigues EG, Mortara RA, Cabral H, Serrano FA, Ribeiro-dos-Santos R, Travassos LR. 2007. Antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo and mechanisms of protection against melanoma B16F10-Nex2 cells by fastuosain, a cysteine proteinase from Bromelia fastuosa. Neoplasia. 10.1593/neo.07427.

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. 2022. Estadísticas a propósito del día mundial contra el cáncer. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2022. Cancer Today. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/en/dataviz/bars-compare-populations?mode=cancer&group_populations=1&types=0_1&sort_by=value1&sexes=2&key=total&populations=904

Kahlout A, Eid A. 2014. Aqueous Extract Of Origanum Syriacum Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, Adhesion As Well As Erk1/2 Phosphorylation In Aggressive Breast Cancer. Hamad bin Khalifa University Press. 10.5339/QFARC.2014.HBSP1103.

Looby CI, Eaton WD. 2014. Effects of Bromelia pinguin (Bromeliaceae) on soil ecosystem function and fungal diversity in the lowland forests of Costa Rica. BMC Ecology. 10.1186/1472-6785-14-12/TABLES/5.

Martinez-Castillo M, Bonilla-Moreno R, Aleman-Lazarini L, Meraz-Rios MA, Orozco L, Cedillo-Barron L, Cordova EJ, Villegas-Sepulveda N. 2016. A Subpopulation of the K562 Cells Are Killed by Curcumin Treatment after G2/M Arrest and Mitotic Catastrophe. Plos One. 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0165971.

Masías-Ambriz LO, Caba-Flores MD, Montes-Castro N, García-Aguiar I, Ruiz-Ramos R, Zenteno E, Martínez-Valenzuela C. 2024. Bromelia pinguin Extract Mitigates Glyphosate-Induced Toxicity in Human Cells. Cureus. 10.7759/CUREUS.74701.

Meza-Espinoza L, de los Ángeles Vivar-Vera M, de Lourdes García-Magaña M, Sáyago-Ayerdi SG, Chacón-López A, Becerrea-Verdín EM, Montalvo-González E. 2018. Enzyme activity and partial characterization of proteases obtained from Bromelia karatas fruit and compared with Bromelia pinguin proteases. Food Science and Biotechnology. 10.1007/S10068-017-0244-6/METRICS.

Moreno-Hernández JM, Hernández-Mancillas XD, Navarrete E, Mazorra-Manzano MÁ, Osuna-Ruiz I, Rodríguez-Tirado VA, Salazar-Leyva JA. 2017. Partial Characterization of the Proteolytic Properties of an Enzymatic Extract From “Aguama” Bromelia pinguin L. Fruit Grown in Mexico. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 10.1007/S12010-016-2319-X/METRICS.

Newman DJ, Cragg GM. 2020. Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs over the Nearly Four Decades from 01/1981 to 09/2019. Journal of Natural Products. 10.1021/ACS.JNATPROD.9B01285/SUPPL_FILE/NP9B01285_SI_009.PDF.

Park S, Oh J, Kim M, Jin EJ. 2018. Bromelain effectively suppresses Kras-mutant colorectal cancer by stimulating ferroptosis. Animal Cells and Systems. 10.1080/19768354.2018.1512521.

Pío-León JF, López GG, Paredes-López O, de Jesús MB, Díaz-Camacho SP, Delgado-Vargas F. 2009. Physicochemical, nutritional and antibacterial characteristics of the fruit of Bromelia pinguin L. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.10.1007/S11130-009-0125-0

Tejada-Portero L, Abellán-Guillén A, Bueno-Gavilá E, Salazar-Serna E, Rodríguez-Jiménez M, Montalvo-González E, López-García, M, Barros-Castillo CJ, Ragazzo-Sánchez AJ, García-Magaña M. 2023. Guamara and Cocuixtle: Source of Proteases for the Transformation of Shrimp By-Products into Hydrolysates with Potential Application. Biology. 10.3390/BIOLOGY12050753.

Wan-Ibrahim W, Ismail N, Mohd-Salleh S, Yajid A, Wong M, Md Hashim M. 2019. Methanolic extract of Abrus precatorius promotes breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell death by inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and upregulating Bax. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 10.4103/2221-1691.260397.

Zhang Y, Wan Y, Huo B, Li B, Jin Y, Hu X. 2018. Extracts and components of ficus carica leaves suppress survival, cell cycle, and migration of triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. OncoTargets and Therapy. 10.2147/OTT.S171601.

Published

2025-06-25 — Updated on 2025-07-28

How to Cite

Impact of the Aqueous Extract of Bromelia pinguin on Cell Death Mechanisms in the MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Line: Impact of the Aqueous Extract of Bromelia pinguin on Cell Death Mechanisms in the MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cell Line. (2025). Bioc Scientia Journal, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.63622/RBS.2405