Cell and Tissue Journal

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extracts on cancerous cells derived from DMBA induced mammary tumor in SD rats.
Materials and methods: Treatment group were gavaged by DMBA (10mg/kg) dissolved in 1ml sesame oil. After tumor development, a part of tissue samples were used for pathological studies using H&E staining to determine the type of the tumor. Cancerous cells were prepared after breaking the tissue using mechanical method. Dried leaves of Rosemary were extracted using digestion method with the help of methanol and filtrated by filter paper. One part of extract was kept away, and to separate the non polar compounds, the rest of the extract was washed with non polar solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). Then the solvents were removed by rotary evaporator and then the desirable dilutions of extracts as well as Taxol were prepared. After 24 hours treatment of the cells with the extract and taxol the cell viability was evaluated by Trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT colorimetric assay.
Results: Alcoholic extract and Taxol showed significant cytotoxic effects on cancerous cells but the effect of aqueous extract was weaker.
Conclusion: according to this study alcoholic extract of Rosemary had a dose dependent cytotoxic effect on cancerous cells which was comparable to Taxol cytotoxicity. Moreover these data demonstrated that the induced breast cancer in rat is an appropriate model to simulate human breast cancer.