Discovery of Glabridin as Potent Inhibitor of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in SK-BR-3 Cell

: The breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women. Therefore, objective of the present study was to examine the antibreast cancer effect of glabridin (GBN) and to evaluate its mechanism of action. In this study, we have demonstrated that GBN causes reduction of cellular viability of human breast cancer SK-BR-3 in MTT assay. Results from Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining assay suggested that GBN causes significant enhancement in the apoptosis. At the molecular level, in western blot analysis, GBN causes significant increase in c-PARP and c-caspases 3, 8, and 9 concentrations in a dose-dependent manner in breast cancer cells. The GBN further showed reduced level of p-epidermal growth factor receptor, p-AKT, p-ERK1/2, and cyclin D1 as the concentration rose in treated cells. Subsequent to this, GBN showed beneficial effect in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced breast cancer in experimental mice as confirmed by increase in body weight, reduction in tumor volume, oxidative stress, and dose-dependent restoration of all tested enzymes (phase I and II) in the treated group. GBN may, thus, play a protective role as an antibreast cancer drug for the prevention of breast cancer.