Investigating the composition and the anti-proliferative mechanism of a strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) methanolic extract on in vitro murine breast cancer cells

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effects of strawberry extracts treatment on two in vitro models of murine breast cancer cell line, trying to detect a specific pathway (AMPK) through which strawberries exert their anticancer activity. Firstly, a characterization of the sensorial and nutritional quality of 'Alba' strawberry cultivar was performed. Then, the anticancer activity of methanolic extract from 'Alba' on two murine cancer cell lines, N202/1A (with high levels of HER2/neu oncogene) and N202/1E (with low levels of HER2/neu oncogene) was evaluated after 48 h of treatment through the expression of several proteins related to apoptosis, autophagy, metastasis, oxidative status, mitochondrial functionality, oncogene expression and AMPK pathway. This study demonstrated that a well characterized strawberry extract possessed an antiproliferative effect on cancer cells, through the induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress. At the same time, a relation between the AMPK pathway and the anticancer effects of strawberries was demonstrated.