Protective effects of a phenolic glycoside compound curculigoside on H2O2-induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in normal human breast epithelial cells

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of many diseases including cancer. Curculigoside, a phenolic glycoside, has been reported to protect various models against damage induced by oxidative stress. However, the protective effect of curculigoside on oxidative stress in normal human breast cells remains unclear. This study evaluated whether curculigoside protected MCF 10A human breast epithelial cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and explored its underlying mechanisms. The H2O2-induced oxidative stress of cell models was demonstrated by decreased percentages of cell viability, increased levels of ROS, reduced activities in antioxidant enzymes, and inhibition of the expressions of antioxidant proteins. More importantly, pre-treatment with curculigoside significantly inhibited the H2O2-induced apoptosis in this cell model. Together, curculigoside significantly prevented the cytotoxic effects of H2O2, suggesting that it protected the cells against H2O2-induced oxidative damage. Our findings provide new insight into the cytoprotective effects of curculigoside and the possible mechanisms underlying these effects.