Can galantamine alkaloid derived from Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake) be used as a novel therapeutic compound on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells?

The current study aims to investigate the antiangiogenic and apoptotic effects of galantamine in breast cancer cells and to add new information to the literature. In this study, MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was used and galantamine was obtained from Leucojum aestivum by HPLC method. The effect of galantamine on cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay at 9 different doses (control, 10, 40, 70, 100, 130, 160, 190, 210 µg/ml) including the control group. Then, to understand the effect of galantamine, other assays (total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels) were examined in 3 groups; control, LD50 (100 µg/ml) and high dose (210 µg/ml) group. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was then calculated. Galantamine decreased cell viability. There was no significant change in VEGF levels. There was a significant dose-dependent decrease in PARP levels. Compared to the control group, there was a significant dose-related decrease in TAS data and a significant dose-related increase in TOS data. A significant dose-related increase in OSI data was found. Galantamine had a negative effect on cell viability and proliferation at certain doses to MCF-7 cells and was found to increase oxidative stress. The decrease in PARP levels indicates the possibility that cells may result in an apoptotic process. These findings may be useful to take a different approach to the use of galantamine in cancer research.