Project description:The purpose of this experiment was to assess the effect of a synergistic combination of natural pyrethrin and an ethylacetate extract of Piper nigrum seeds (a botanical insecticide). This effect was compared to the effects of P. nigrum or pyrethrin used alone. Due to the synergistic nature of the mixture, it was predicted that gene expression profiles in this treatment would reflect this effect. Keywords: insecticide response, stress-response
Project description:Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L., Grossulariaceae) have a high content of anthocyanin polyphenols and these have been shown to have beneficial effects on health, owing to their antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties. This study analyzed the constituents of blackcurrant extract (BCE) and investigated its potential phytoestrogenic effects using a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) overexpressing the estrogen receptor (ER) α. Microarray and ingenuity pathway analysis showed that BCE activated upstream genes such as ERα and transforming growth factor beta 1, and upregulated the expression of many genes downstream of ERα.