Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the cytotoxic and anti-metastatic effects of four bee products—propolis, royal jelly, bee bread, and bee venom—obtained from the Kırşehir region on the MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cell line.Materials and Methods: Cell viability was assessed using the XTT assay, while migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing and invasion assays. IC₅₀ values were determined for each bee product, and treatments were applied at these concentrations under controlled experimental conditions. Image analysis was performed using ImageJ software, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 29 and GraphPad Prism 8 software packages.Results: All bee products suppressed cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Propolis (IC₅₀: 40 µg/mL) and bee venom (IC₅₀: 4.5 µg/mL) showed the strongest cytotoxicity, whereas bee bread and royal jelly exhibited IC₅₀ values of 195 µg/mL and 426 µg/mL, respectively. Wound healing assays demonstrated that cell migration was significantly reduced in propolis, bee venom, and bee bread groups after 48 hours (p<0.001 for all groups), while no significant change was observed with royal jelly (p=0.121). In invasion assays, propolis significantly reduced matrix penetration (p=0.001), and bee venom (p<0.001) and bee bread (p=0.041) also demonstrated significant anti-invasive effects.Conclusion: Propolis and bee venom were the most effective agents in inhibiting cell migration and invasion. Bee products exhibit notable anticancer potential in MDA-MB-231 cells and may serve as promising complementary therapeutic agents. Further comprehensive studies are required to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms in detail.