| Summary: | Ramalin is the compound isolated from Antarctic lichen, Ramalina terebrata . Previous study showed that ramalin has antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activity. However, the effect of ramalin on MCF‐7 human cancer cells has not been addressed. We investigated the effect of ramalin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and its mechanism in MCF‐7 cells. MTT assay and western blotting showed that ramalin decreased concentration‐dependently cell proliferation, induced apoptosis related proteins (Bax, Bid, AIF), and activated caspase‐3 and 8, respectively. In addition, Annexin V/PI analysis revealed that apoptotic cells were remarkably increased in ramalin‐treated MCF‐7. Our data also showed that ramalin increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. Taken together, ramalin induces apoptosis through Mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and caspase dependent signaling pathways in MCF‐7 cells and may be a potential anticancer agent for the treatment of human breast cancer.
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