Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Effects of Odontobuthus doriae Crude Venom on the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Abstract

Background: Scorpion venom is a complex mixture containing toxic peptides, free amino acids, enzymes, nucleotides, lipids, amines, mucoproteins and other bioactive components. It has been reported to exhibit a range of medicinal prop­erties, including anticancer, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, analgesic, antitumor and antiepileptic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of crude venom from Odontobuthus doriae on the Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCf-7) breast cancer cell line.
Methods: 2×10⁴ MCF-7 cancer cells were cultured in T25 flasks containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. After overnight incuba­tion, the culture medium was replaced with different concentrations of crude venom (0.2, 0.48, 0.97, 1.95, 3.9, 7.81, 15.62, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 μg/mL). The cytotoxic effects were assessed using the MTT reduction assay at 24, 48 and 72 hours post-treatment, performed in triplicate. Absorbance was measured at 570 nm using an ELISA reader.
Results: A concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed. A statistically significant difference in cy­totoxicity was observed between the 24 hour and the 48/72-hour treatments, while no significant difference was noted between the 48 and 72 hour time points. The IC₅₀ values were calculated to be 4.775 µg/mL (24 h), 31.87 µg/mL (48 h), and 3.543 µg/mL (72 h).
Conclusion: The crude venom of O. doriae exhibits significant cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting its potential as a natural anticancer agent.