Induction of apoptosis in 4T1 breast cancer cell line by a peptide derived from tuna (Thunnus tonggol) by-products

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Chemotherapy drugs have many toxicities and side effects. Therefore, designing effective natural medicines with the least toxicity is very important. Aquatic organisms are a rich source of bioactive compounds including peptides with anti-cancer properties. In studies, it was shown that an 11-amino acid peptide derived from the hydrolysates of dark muscle by-products of tuna (Thunnus tonggol) has anticancer properties. In the present study, the effect of this peptide on the viability of 4T1 breast cancer cell line was evaluated using MTT assay and induction of apoptosis in these cells was assessed using flowcytometry and Real-time PCR. The results showed that this peptide inhibited cancer cell viability and induced 30.3% of apoptosis in these cells. The peptide acts through reducing the relative expression of the anti-apoptotic BCL2 gene and increasing the relative expression of the pro-apoptotic BAX gene. Therefore, it can be suggested that this peptide has the potential to be more investigated for therapeutic purposes as well as for supplements with cancer prevention properties.