# Anti-Breast Cancer Activity of Essential Oil:
## 3 Result
### Bioactivity of Essential Oils as Anti-Breast Cancer Agents
#### 3.4.2 Sesquiterpene  
Sesquiterpenes have been widely studied for their activity against breast cancer. [PERSON] et al. reported that \(\upbeta\)-Bisabolene and \(\alpha\)-Bisabolene from opoponax (_Corniophora guidottii_) showed specific cytotoxicity for mammary tumor cells of humans and mice both In vitro and In vivo. In addition, this compound also showed good selectivity in human cancer cells of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR3 [103]. Therefore, further investigation into the use of \(\upbeta\)-bisabolene in medicine is needed [103]. Additionally, _Hypericum perforatum essential_ oil demonstrated that sesquiterpene such as germacrene D, \(\updelta\)-cadinene, \(\gamma\)-muurolene, germacrene B, \(\alpha\)-copaene, bicyclogermacrene, and (E)-caryophyllene was the dominant compound. Cytotoxic activity of the essential oils on MCF7 breast cancer cells resulted in the suppression of cancer growth with an IC\({}_{50}\) of 0.78 \(\upmu\)g/mL. However in normal MDBK cells no cytotoxic activity was observed [125]. Essential oils of _Lycopus lucidus_ Turcz. var. hirtus Regel was also reported to contain sesquiterpene; -Humulene (15.97%) was the dominant compound. These essential oils are reported to exhibit cytotoxic activity by reducing the cell viability of breast cancer [111]. Essential oils from _Cordia africana_ Lam. contain 32.0% of \(\beta\)-caryophyllene having inhibition on MCF7 breast cancer cells with an IC\({}_{50}\) of 4.55 \(\mu\)g/mL. In addition, this essential oils also exhibit apoptotic activity by the increase in protein caspase-8 which induces apoptosis in cells [112]. Essential oils from _Murraya koenigii_ are also reported to be sesquiterpenes as the dominant compounds [114]. The essential oils inhibit the growth of MCF7 breast cancer cells. Essential oils from _Cedrelopsis greevi_ leaves contained (E)-\(\beta\)-farnesene (27.61%), \(\alpha\)-copaene (7.65%), \(\delta\)-cadinence (14.48%), and \(\beta\)-elemene (6.96%) also inhibits the proliferation of MCF7 breast cancer cells with an IC\({}_{50}\) value of 21.5 mg/L [115]. Herbal medicine derived from _Chloranthus serratus_ essential oils was reported to suppress LIM kinase-1 (LIMK1) which plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of tumor cells by regulating actin cytoskeleton architecture, cofilin1 phosphorylation, F-actin polymerization and the cell migration of human breast cancer MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cells with IC\({}_{50}\) values of 4.64 \(\mu\)M and 3.14 \(\mu\)M respectively [126]. Another study reported that sesquiterpene from the _Pimpinella haussknechtiti_ fruit increased protein aggregation and mRNA expression of ATF-4, CHOP, GADD34, and TRIB3 in MCF7 breast cancer cells, with IC\({}_{50}\) values of 45 and 25 \(\mu\)M [127]. Alantolactone, a sesquiterpene compound, were reported to inhibit angiogenesis, suppress phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and its downstream protein kinases including PLC-\(\gamma\)1, FAK, Src, and Akt in endothelial cells, and delay the growth of human breast cancer MDA MB 231 xenografts in mice. When tested on MDA MB 231 cells, the antiangiogenic activity of this chemical indicated that alantolactone is a prospective therapeutic candidate for antiangiogenic cancer therapy, with an IC\({}_{50}\) of 40.4 \(\mu\)M [128]. Based on these In vitro and In vivo studies, sesquiterpenes were active against breast anticancer cells. In vitro studies on anti-breast cancer activity using MCF-7, MDA MB 231 and MDA MB 468 cells [60; 120] shows significant results in inhibiting breast cancer [61; 116; 120; 121]. In addition, the histopathological In vivo studies performed on white mice showed that sesquiterpenes significantly suppressed the carcinogenic effect of LA7 tumor cells in mice [103]. The mechanism of the sesquiterpenes is to inhibit the migration, invasion, and motility of MDA-MB-231 cells in a concentration-dependent manner by invasion and apoptosis [119].