Nimbin Induces Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cells through the Mitochondrial Pathway

. The study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism by which nimbin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 cells in culture were divided into four groups: Group 1 represented Control cells, while Groups 2, 3, and 4 (5, 10 and 20 mu M/mL, respectively) were nimbin-treated at varying concentrations. After treatment with nimbin, the cells were observed, and their morphology was analyzed 24 h later. These cells were then utilized in further experiments. MDA-MB-231 cells inhibited cell proliferation, increased the production of reactive oxygen species, and induced apoptosis. In addition, western blot analysis revealed that nimbin-treated cells had decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax, Caspase-9, and cytochrome c. We conclude from these findings that nimbin can inhibit the viability of triple-negative breast cancer cells and induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway.