Effects of kaempferol on oxidative stress, cytoskeletal, and cellular features in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
- 1Department of Natural Sciences, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA, 01845, United States. [email protected].
- 2Department of Natural Sciences, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA, 01845, United States.
Abstract
Kaempferol, a naturally occurring flavonoid found in various fruits and vegetables, has been widely studied for its biological activity; however, its cellular effects in different breast cancer cell types remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the effects of kaempferol in two human breast cancer cell lines with distinct molecular characteristics: MCF-7 (ER/PR-positive) and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative). Cells were treated with 60 µM kaempferol for up to 24 h, and analyses included cell viability, oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species generation and superoxide dismutase activity), gene expression (ACTB), and morphological changes (cellular area, F-actin intensity, and nuclear DAPI fluorescence) using quantitative PCR and confocal imaging. Kaempferol reduced cell viability in both cell lines, with greater sensitivity observed in MCF-7 cells. Under treatment conditions, MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited higher ROS levels than MCF-7 cells, SOD activity also differed between the two cell lines. ACTB expression was downregulated in both cell lines, more prominently in MCF-7, and was accompanied by a reduction in cellular area. While F-actin intensity remained unchanged in MCF-7 cells, it decreased in MDA-MB-231 cells. Changes in DAPI fluorescence indicated nuclear morphology alterations consistent with cell stress responses. These findings demonstrate differential cellular responses to kaempferol between MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and provide quantitative characterization of its effects on cell viability, oxidative stress, and cellular structure. This work provides a basis for further investigation of kaempferol's effects in breast cancer cell models.
Related
- Piperine attenuated CoCl2-induced oxidative stress and cellular injury in TM3 Leydig cells
- Alkylamidobetaines Induced Changes in Multidrug-Resistant, Biofilming Candidaglabrata—Analysis of Oxidative Stress and Cellular Proteome
- Oxidative stress-driven cellular heterogeneity in Knee Osteoarthritis: scRNA-seq pinpoints SPP1 and CYBA for diagnostic development
- Integrative network toxicology and pharmacology reveal that kaempferol alleviates BaP-triggered pulmonary fibrosis via suppressing Ras/COX-2-dependent cellular senescence
- PTPRF is a stress responsive cytoskeletal checkpoint that coordinates metabolic adaptation in hepatocytes and β cells
BibTeX
@article{noori2026effects,
title = {{Effects of kaempferol on oxidative stress, cytoskeletal, and cellular features in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.}},
author = {Azam Noori and Alexa Bergeron and Emmalee Foley and Makayla Richard and Jennifer PereiraBadji and Josephine Modica-Napolitano},
journal = {BMC complementary medicine and therapies},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12906-026-05473-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958238},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of kaempferol on oxidative stress, cytoskeletal, and cellular features in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
AU - Azam Noori
AU - Alexa Bergeron
AU - Emmalee Foley
AU - Makayla Richard
AU - Jennifer PereiraBadji
AU - Josephine Modica-Napolitano
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/04
JO - BMC complementary medicine and therapies
DO - 10.1186/s12906-026-05473-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958238
AB - Kaempferol, a naturally occurring flavonoid found in various fruits and vegetables, has been widely studied for its biological activity; however, its cellular effects in different breast cancer cell types remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the effects of kaempferol in two human breast cancer cell lines with distinct molecular characteristics: MCF-7 (ER/PR-positive) and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative). Cells were treated with 60 µM kaempferol for up to 24 h, and analyses included cell viability, oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species generation and superoxide dismutase activity), gene expression (ACTB), and morphological changes (cellular area, F-actin intensity, and nuclear DAPI fluorescence) using quantitative PCR and confocal imaging. Kaempferol reduced cell viability in both cell lines, with greater sensitivity observed in MCF-7 cells. Under treatment conditions, MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited higher ROS levels than MCF-7 cells, SOD activity also differed between the two cell lines. ACTB expression was downregulated in both cell lines, more prominently in MCF-7, and was accompanied by a reduction in cellular area. While F-actin intensity remained unchanged in MCF-7 cells, it decreased in MDA-MB-231 cells. Changes in DAPI fluorescence indicated nuclear morphology alterations consistent with cell stress responses. These findings demonstrate differential cellular responses to kaempferol between MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and provide quantitative characterization of its effects on cell viability, oxidative stress, and cellular structure. This work provides a basis for further investigation of kaempferol's effects in breast cancer cell models.
SN - 2662-7671
ER -