Novel formulated form of turmeric oleoresin inhibits cell growth and migratory behaviors of breast cancer cells

Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcumin longa L. There is growing body of data showing the antitumor effect of curcumin in different cancers; however, its efficacy is limited by its low absorption rate. Here, we investigated the antitumor activity of turmeric oleoresin alone or in combination with paclitaxel in MCF-7 cells in monolayer cell cultures and spheroids models.

The antiproliferative activities of 3 different form, curcumin, phospholipidated curcumin, and turmeric oleoresin were assessed by MTT assay. The migratory behaviors of the cells were determined by migration assay before and after treatment with curcumin. The expression levels of CyclinD1, P65, Nf-kB, and E-cadherin were studied.

Curcumin suppressed cell growth in MCF-7 cells via modulation of CyclinD1 and NF-KB, which was more pronounced with turmeric oleoresin. Curcumin was able to reduce the invasiveness of MCF-7, compared to control cells through perturbation of E-cadherin.

We demonstrated the antitumor activity of curcumin and curcumin oleoresin in breast cancer cells, supporting further investigations on the therapeutic potential of this novel anticancer agent in in vivo models.