Anticancer Property of Simple Ascidian Phallusia Nigra Savigny, 1816 against MDA-MB-231 Cells

Background Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent disease affecting women. Methods Female adult Swiss albino mice weighing 20-25 g were used to assess anticancer activity of the ethanol extract of the simple ascidian Phallusia nigra against human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) by evaluating cytotoxicity, relative organ weight of vital organs, tumor weight, % inhibition, solid tumor volume, median survival time, % increase of lifespan, packed cell volume, viable and non-viable cell count adopting standard procedures. Results 100 % cytotoxicity was obtained at 0.60 mg/ml concentration. Negligible changes were noted in relative organ weight. There was a dose dependent increase in % inhibition of tumor and decrease in tumor weight. A highly significant reduction in tumor volume was noted. Median survival time, % increase of life span, non viable cells increased significantly and packed cell volume, viable cells decreased. Conclusion In-vivo studies indicate the presence of bioactive compounds in Phallusia nigra with anticancer property against MDA-MB-231.