Determination of the anticancer properties of Rhizoplaca melanophthalma and Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca lichen extracts

In this study, MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line will be studied. Breast cancer is a treatable type of cancer that is especially common in women. This cancer line has a very severe inflammatory feature and can metastasize quickly and occult. Lichens show important biological activity such as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer, and these properties are the effects of a wide variety of secondary metabolites. Scientific research shows that lichens exert their anticancer effects by inhibiting the initiation, development and invasion of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Lichen extracts and substances have the ability to interfere with all the biological properties of cancer cells, which leads to the development of tumors. It exhibits anticancer properties by induction of cell cycle inhibition, inhibition of cell growth signaling pathways, activation of antitumor immunity, blocking replicative immortality. The lichens whose anticancer effects on the MDA-MB-231 cell line will be investigated are Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca and Rhizoplaca melanophthalma. The mutagenic, antimutagenic and antigenotoxic effects of methanol extracts have been investigated and there are literature studies where these natural lichen compounds have reducing effects of mutagenic substances. The aim of this research is to investigate the induction of cell death by apoptosis and necrosis of Rhizoplaca melanopthalma and Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca lichens with in vitro tests, the effects on cell viability with MTT test, the activity of increasing or decreasing the damage caused by cellular stress with antioxidant tests and MDA measurement, and the activity of DNA by Komet test. Our aim is to reveal the properties of these lichens that have anticancer effects against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line type by evaluating the damage formation on the skin, and therefore, it is thought that our research will be helpful for the development of anticancer drugs.