Effect of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz) Schisandraceae seed extracts and cisplatin on cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and wound healing in MCF-7 cells

Purpose: Schisandra chinensis is a plant used in traditional Chinese and Russian medicine. An S. chinensis seed extract was tested for its ability to potentiate the effects of the anticancer agent cisplatin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methods: S. chinensis seeds were extracted with ethanol and the ethanol was evaporated from the extracts to obtain an aqueous fraction of the S. chinensis seed extract (SCSE). MCF-7 cells were exposed to cisplatin alone or in combination with various concentrations of SCSE. The end points that were measured were cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and wound healing. Results: The addition of 10 % SCSE increased the cytotoxicity of cisplatin by increasing MCF-7 cell death by 7 %. The combination of 20 % SCSE and cisplatin completely inhibited wound healing in MCF-7 cells. SCSE alone did not induce DNA fragmentation in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: Compounds from S. chinensis seed extracts may mitigate cancer cell proliferation and migration.