Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Effects of Odontobuthus Doriae Crude Venom on the Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line Publisher



Tashakori G ; Mohammadpour Dounighi N ; Akhavan A A ; Basseri H R ; Abdi K ; Tofighi Zavareh F ; Khorasani S ; Fatemi M ; Biglarian A ; Saboor Yaraghi A A ; Rafinejad J
Source: Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases Published:2026

Abstract

Background: Scorpion venom is a complex mixture containing toxic peptides, free amino acids, enzymes, nucleotides, lipids, amines, mucoproteins and other bioactive components. It has been reported to exhibit a range of medicinal properties, including anticancer, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, analgesic, antitumor and antiepileptic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of crude venom from Odontobuthus doriae on the Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCf-7) breast cancer cell line. Methods: 2×104 MCF-7 cancer cells were cultured in T25 flasks containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. After overnight incubation, the culture medium was replaced with different concentrations of crude venom (0.2, 0.48, 0.97, 1.95, 3.9, 7.81, 15.62, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 μg/mL). The cytotoxic effects were assessed using the MTT reduction assay at 24, 48 and 72 hours post-treatment, performed in triplicate. Absorbance was measured at 570 nm using an ELISA reader. Results: A concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed. A statistically significant difference in cytotoxicity was observed between the 24 hour and the 48/72-hour treatments, while no significant difference was noted between the 48 and 72 hour time points. The IC50 values were calculated to be 4.775 µg/mL (24 h), 31.87 µg/mL (48 h), and 3.543 µg/mL (72 h). Conclusion: The crude venom of O. doriae exhibits significant cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting its potential as a natural anticancer agent. Copyright © 2026 The Authors.