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 Abstract 

  Background and Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women. It is the second common cancer (after lung cancer) in women. Zingiber afficinale is used as a traditional medicine. Recently, the biological activities of Zingiber afficieale plants have been reported as possessing anticancer, antibacterial, antiulcer, antifungal, and insecticidal properties. However, the antitumor effects of this medicine have not been studied in cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effect of Zingiber afficieale on breast cancer cell lines.

  Materials and Methods: Breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines and normal connective tissue cell line (L929) were cultured in DMEM medium. Zingiber afficinale was extracted and different dilutions of Zingier extract (1.60 to 1.200) were added to cell culture. Cell viability was quantitated by MTT assay after 24, 48 and 72 hours.

  Results: The effects of Zingiber afficieale on cell viability were observed after 48 hours on cell lines. Ginger doses in dilution 1.100 and 1.70 inhibited 50% cell growth (IC50) in MCF7 cell line after 48 hours of incubation, respectively.

  Conclusion: Our study shows that ginger fresh extract has cytotoxic effects on tumor cells, but it does not have any cytotoxic effect on normal cells. It seems that ginger could be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment.

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Aims: Ovarian cancer is the most common fatal malignancy of the female genital tract and is often at an advanced stage when diagnosed. Ginger is one of the most well-known medicinal plants with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. SORT1 gene is overexpressed in ovarian cancer cell lines. The present study evaluates the anti-cancer effects of ginger extract on SORT1 gene expression and viability of the A2780s ovarian cancer cell line.
Methods & Materials: The viability percentage of the A2780s ovarian cancer cells with ginger extract at concentrations of 40, 60, 80, and 100 μg/mL compared to the control group was evaluated by the Neubauer slide method for 24 hours, and IC50 of the ginger extract was determined within 24 hours. Then, the viability percentage of the cells with 60 μg/mL of ginger extract was investigated at 24, 48, and 72 hours. After treating cells with ginger extract, the cells’ RNA was extracted at 24 and 48 hours, then cDNA was synthesized. Finally, the expression of the SORT1 gene was evaluated compared to the GAPDH gene (reference gene) using real-time PCR.
Findings: Ginger extract in a dose- and time-dependent manner inhibited the viability of ovarian cancer cells. The ginger extract reduced SORT1 gene expression in A2780s cells.
Conclusion: The ginger extract has significant inhibitory activity against A2780s ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, with further research, this compound can be used to develop ovarian anti-cancer drugs.