Specific antitumor activities of natural and oxovanadium(IV) complexed flavonoids on human breast cancer cells

L. NASO; M. VALCARCEL; P. VILLACÉ; M. ROURA-FERRER; C. SALADO; E.G. FERRER; P.A.M. WILLIAMS

NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY

Lugar: CAMBRIDGE; Año: 2014 vol. 38 p. 2414 - 2421

1144-0546

The structure-activity relationships of the natural flavonoids quercetin, chrysin and silibinin have revealed that they meet the key structural requirements for killing tumor cells. When the structure of these three flavonoids is modified by complexation using the oxovanadium(IV) cation their cytotoxic properties on human breast cancer cell lines are enhanced. Breast epithelial cells are used to determine the selectivity of these compounds. The mechanisms of action of the flavonoids and the oxovanadium(IV) cation on the MDA-MB231 cell line seem to be different to the apoptotic mechanisms of cell death exerted by the oxovanadium(IV) complexes. These results showed the mechanisms of the antitumoral effect of these complexes being them promissory compounds for cancer treatments.