The isoflavonoid brazilin inhibits viability and cell migration in breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm diagnosed in women and is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In recent years, compounds isolated from natural sources have been proposed as potential molecules in therapy for breast cancer. In this regard, brazilin has been evaluated in various biological sceneries and has shown pharmacological functions, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Brazilin was obtained from Haematoxylum brasiletto. The chemical structure was confirmed by spectroscopic data (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR). Concerning biological activity, by MTT assays, brazilin showed cytotoxic effects on MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Interestingly, brazilin was not toxic in MCF10A non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells. We also observed morphological changes to a rounded phenotype associated with apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines and decreased cell migration in a dose and time-dependent manner. By in silico analysis, we found that brazilin interacts with JAK1, JAK2, and iNOS, essential molecules driven cell migration and metastasis in cancer. These data suggest that brazilin can potentially be used as an anti-cancer agent in the future.