Anticancer effect of a novel 2-arylidene-4,7-dimethyl indan-1-one against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line by G2/M cell cycle arrest.

A novel compound 2-arylidene-4,7-dimethyl indan-1-one synthesized was screened for anticancer effect against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7. An IC50 value of > or = 80 microM, nontoxic to the normal breast cell line HBL-100, showed complete inhibition of the MCF-7 cells. Analysis of mechanisms showed nuclear fragmentation and DNA laddering in gel electrophoresis. GSH and GR levels were found to be reduced after the compound treatment. Cell cycle analysis using fluorescent cytometry revealed G2/M phase arrest, which indicates the compound deserves consideration for further studies against cancer.