ABSTRACT:
Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. The potential of various natural and dietary agents in reducing breast cancer risk is well recognized. Currently, chemotherapy serves as the primary treatment for breast cancer, yet its cytotoxic effects on normal cells and the development of drug resistance pose significant challenges. Hence, there is a pressing need to develop safer and more effective anticancer therapies. V. aconitifolia seeds are rich in phytochemicals such as alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, phytic acids, trypsin, and chemotrypsin inhibitors. The acetone extract of V. aconitifolia has been noted for its anticancer and antioxidant properties, with abundant trypsin inhibitors and vicilins contributing to these activities. Despite the high presence of anticancer phytoconstituents in its seeds, scientific evaluation of V. aconitifolia for its anticancer potential remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate V. aconitifolia as a potential anticancer agent.In this research, the anticancer efficacy of acetone extract from V. aconitifolia seeds was evaluated using both in vitro and in vivo methods. Breast cancer was induced in Wistar rats through intragastric administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at 80 mg/kg body weight. Pretreatment with V. aconitifolia extract (200 mg/kg BW) demonstrated effectiveness against DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma. Administration of V. aconitifolia normalized elevated SGOT and SGPT levels, and restored antioxidant levels to within normal limits. Additionally, body weight and hematological parameters of animals in the pretreatment group remained within normal ranges. Histopathological studies further confirmed the efficacy of V. aconitifolia against DMBA-induced ductal and invasive carcinoma. These findings collectively underscore the preventive potential of V. aconitifolia against DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma in Wistar rats.