Ballota hirsuta Benth Arrests the Cell Cycle, Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits the Invasion of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines in 2D and 3D Models

Breast cancer is a disease with a high incidence and mortality rate worldwide. There is a growing interest in the search for alternative treatments with a good cytotoxic effect but fewer adverse effects, because paclitaxel and cis-platinum treatments present severe adverse effects. The aim of this study was evaluating the antitumor activity of ethyl acetate extract of <i>Ballota hirsuta</i> Benth (EAB) in breast cancer cell lines. The IC50 of EAB is 49.3 μg/mL and 3.7 μg/mL in 2D and 375 μg/mL and 135 μg/mL in 3D in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively. It arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase and decreased CDK4 activity by 86%, increasing the p53 protein levels. During the in silico analysis, the compounds interacted with the IGF-R1, CDK1, CDK2, TNFR1, MLKL, MMP2, MMP9, E-cadherin and N-cadherin proteins, which are involved in necroptosis, invasion and the cell cycle. It decreased the ATP levels in 3D by 87% at 600 μg/mL in MCF-7 and 99% at 250 μg/mL in MDA-MB-231; induced apoptosis by increasing the activity of caspases-3/7, -8 and -9; inhibited invasion and enhanced the effect of cisplatin and paclitaxel in combination with EAB. The results show the antitumor potential of EAB as a possible adjuvant in breast cancer therapy.