Computational and In Vitro Assessment of a Natural Triterpenoid Compound Gedunin against Breast Cancer via Caspase 3 and Janus Kinase/STAT Modulation

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of malignancy among females as per the report of the World Health Organization. There are several established chemotherapeutic regimes for the clinical management of different solid cancers; however, the after-effects of these therapeutics serve as a significant limiting factor. The natural triterpenoid compound, gedunin is one of the principal phytoconstituent found in Azadirachta indica. In this study, we have investigated the anticancer potential of gedunin against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Based on computational studies, gedunin exhibited significantly higher binding affinity of −7.1 and −6.2 Kcal/mol towards Janus kinase (JAK) and STAT proteins, respectively. Further, the anticancer potential of gedunin against human breast cancer was studied using hormone-independent and -dependent MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively. The results indicated that gedunin inhibited the growth and multiplication of both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The nuclear fragmentation and ROS were qualitatively enhanced in the treated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in comparison to untreated cells. The caspase-3 level was significantly enhanced with a concomitant decline in JAK1 and STAT3 mRNA expression. Based on these results, gedunin might be considered as a potential therapeutic lead against hormone-dependent and -independent breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. However, further detailed mechanistic studies are warranted to conclusively establish the anti-breast cancer effects.