The goal of this research project was to test the ability of Juniperus virginia extracts to kill MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The species is more commonly known as the Eastern Red Cedar and is abundant in the eastern United States, which makes it a attractive natural source for anticancer chemotherapeutics.  Two samples of J. virginiana were collected and extracted using a Soxhlet extractor. The leaves (needles) of male and female trees were separately extracted with refluxing chloroform. An MTT assay was used to determine if either of the samples would effect the growth of the cancer cells.  Once it was determined which extract(s) would suspend the growth of these cells bioactivity-directed preparative column chromatography was used to separate and isolate individual active components.  It was found that the crude chloroform extracts of the female plant and the male plant showed 61.3% killing and 64.7% killing, respectively, at 100 ug/mL.  Fractionation of the crude female extract yielded four active (> 90% kill at 100 ug/mL) fractions.

Cytotoxicity of Juniperus virginia on MCF-7 breast cancer cells

245th National Meeting (2013)

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