Preventive Effects of Achillea Millefolium, Rosa Damascena and Origanum Majorana Hydroalcoholic Extracts on Breast Cancer in Female Mice

Abstract

Breast cancer is overall considered the second most frequently recognized cancer worldwide. Several studies have recently reported the antitumoral properties of some medicinal herbs such as Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Marjoram (Origanum majorana), and Rose (Rosa damascena Mill L). Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of these plants on breast cancer prevention in female mice. Mice were classified into five ten‐mice groups: normal control (untreated group), tumor group (treated with 4T1 cells), and treatment groups (treated with 4T1 cells+ Yarrow or Rose and Marjoram plants). Then, the levels of cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidants were determined. Finally, the tumor size was evaluated. The hydroalcoholic extract of Yarrow herb significantly decreased the levels of CA-15-3 and CEA (P-value=0.008 and P-value=0.018, respectively). In addition, hydroalcoholic extracts of Yarrow, Rose, and Marjoram plants significantly reduced tumor size in comparison with the tumor group (P-value<0.001 for Yarrow, and P-value=0.004 for Rose and Marjoram plants). Yarrow herb had the significantly highest effect on tumor size in comparison with Rose and Marjoram plants (P-value=0.011 for both plants). However, no significant differences were found among the groups treated with the plants in comparison with the tumor mice in terms of SOD and total antioxidants (P-value>0.05). Our findings revealed that A. millefolium had the greatest antitumor effects on mice with breast cancer in comparison with O. majorana and R. damascena herbs. However, more complementary studies are needed in this regard.