Cis-trimethoxystilbene, exhibits higher genotoxic and antiproliferative effects than its isomer trans-trimethoxystilbene in MCF-7 and MCF-10A cell lines.

Stilbenes are a class of natural compounds with a wide variety of biological effects, such as antitumor activity. The best-known stilbene is resveratrol, whose clinical application is limited due to its low bioavailability. Methoxylated derivatives of this stilbene, including cis-trimethoxystilbene (cis-TMS) and trans-trimethoxystilbene (trans-TMS) have demonstrated more pronounced cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects than resveratrol. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects of cis- and trans-TMS in MCF-7 and its normal counterpart MCF-10A. Both compounds were cytotoxic, genotoxic, and induced G2-M accumulation and cell death in the two cell lines. These results suggested that the genotoxicity of cis- and trans-TMS is involved in the reduction of cellular proliferation of MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells, but notably, such antiproliferative effects are more pronounced for cis- than trans-TMS.