Comparative Evaluation of the Anti-Proliferative, Apoptotic, and Migratory Effects of Aronia melanocarpa Fruit Extract on Breast Cancer Cells and Healthy Endothelial Cells

Purpose: Aronia melanocarpa fruit, known for its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties, is recognized as a potential natural agent in cancer research. This investigation evaluated the in vitro effects of aronia fruit extract on cytotoxicity, cell migration, and the expression of apoptotic genes in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and HUVEC healthy endothelial cells were examined.Methods: Cytotoxicity analyses were performed using the MTT assay, cell migration was assessed by scratch assay, and apoptotic gene expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR in MDA-MB-231 and HUVEC cells. Experiments were carried out in triplicate. For statistical evaluation, all analyses were performed using ANOVA, and differences with a p value of less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results: The cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that the extract reduced the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells in a manner dependent on both exposure time and concentration, while in contrast, HUVEC cells exhibited an increase in viability after 24 and 48 hours of treatment. The IC₅₀ value was 148.92 µg/mL. cratch assays showed that the extract suppressed migration in MDA-MB-231 cells with no effect on HUVEC cells. RT-qPCR revealed increased Bcl-xL and decreased Bak, Caspase-3, and Caspase-8 in HUVEC cells, whereas MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited reduced Bcl-xL and elevated Bak, Caspase-3, and Caspase-8.Conclusion: These findings indicate that aronia fruit extract exhibits selective pro-apoptotic and cytotoxic effects in breast cancer cells while maintaining a safe profile in healthy cells. Further studies are required to elucidate molecular mechanisms related to apoptosis and evaluate the preclinical and clinical potential of aronia fruit extract.