Total triterpenoids from apple peels exert pronounced anti-breast-cancer activity in vivo and in vitro

BACKGROUND: Apples are among the most nutritionally valuable fruits and have a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Triterpenoids, the primary bioactive compounds found in apples, demonstrate significant antitumor activity. RESULTS: Following enrichment and optimization, the total content of major triterpenoids in total triterpenoids from apple peels (ATT) reached 5.76 g kg(-1). The growth of MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors was significantly inhibited after treatment with ATT. Network pharmacology analysis conclusively identified a close association between the antitumor effect of ATT and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway. Experimental validation using MDA-MB-231 cells and a xenograft nude mouse model confirmed that ATT suppressed tumor cell proliferation effectively by modulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which was consistent with the findings from network pharmacology. The total triterpenoids from apple peels also induced cell apoptosis by mediating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The total triterpenoids from apple peels can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis effectively through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, suggesting that ATT holds promise as a prospective therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment. (c) 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.