Background:Ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has been described in traditional and alternative medicine to provide several health benefits including anticholesteremic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anticancer effects, but most remain to be scientifically validated. In the present study, we evaluated the anticancer effects of the ethanolic extract of Ajwa Dates pulp on human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. MethodsAjwa Dates Pulp Extract (ADPE) was phytochemically characterized using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The in vitro cytotoxicity of ADPE at various concentrations viz. 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22 and 25 mg/mL were evaluated against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells at 24 and 48 h. The apoptosis effect was examined by Hoechst 33342 and AO/PI-double-stain using fluorescence microscopy. The proportion of apoptotic cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cell cycle phase distribution were estimated using flow cytometry. Apoptosis-related protein expression was determined using western blot analysis. ResultsLC-MS analysis showed that ADPE contained phytocomponents belonging to chemical classes such as carbohydrates, phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids. Phase contrast microscopy analysis revealed various morphological variations in ADPE treated cells. MTT assay demonstrated statistically significant dose- and time-dependent inhibitions of MDA-MB-231 cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 17.45 and 16.67 mg/mL at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Hoechst 33342 dye and DNA fragmentation data showed apoptotic cell death while AO/PI and Annexin V-FITC data revealed cells in late apoptosis at higher doses of ADPE. More importantly, Ajwa date extract prompted ROS induced alterations in MMP in ADPE treated MDA-MB-231 cells. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that ADPE induced cell arrest in S and G2/M checkpoints. In addition, ADPE upregulates p53, Bax and cleaved caspase-3, thereby leading to downregulation of bcl-2 protein and Akt/mTOR pathway. ConclusionsThe results of the present study indicate that ADPE exerts significant anticancer effects on MDA-MB-231 cells via the induction of apoptosis and suppression of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, ADPE has the potential to be used as an adjunct to the main line of treatment against breast cancer and can be further studied as a potential lead in breast cancer treatment.