Total triterpenoids from apple peels exert pronounced anti-breast-cancer activity in vivo and in vitro

BACKGROUND Apples are among the most nutritionally valuable fruits and have a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Triterpenoids, the primary bioactive compounds found in apples, demonstrate significant antitumor activity. RESULTS Following enrichment and optimization, the total content of major triterpenoids in total triterpenoids from apple peels (ATT) reached 5.76 g kg −1 . The growth of MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors was significantly inhibited after treatment with ATT. Network pharmacology analysis conclusively identified a close association between the antitumor effect of ATT and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway. Experimental validation using MDA-MB-231 cells and a xenograft nude mouse model confirmed that ATT suppressed tumor cell proliferation effectively by modulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which was consistent with the findings from network pharmacology. The total triterpenoids from apple peels also induced cell apoptosis by mediating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSION The total triterpenoids from apple peels can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis effectively through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, suggesting that ATT holds promise as a prospective therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.