The antiproliferative and antimigrative effects of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate on A549 lung and DU 145 prostate cancer cells

Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) (Na2O.4B2O3.4H2O) is an inorganic salt form of boron, used in agriculture, insecticides, and antifungal in wood protection. As an important fine boride, DOT is non-toxic for humans. The antimicrobial and wound-healing properties, as well as the cytotoxicity of DOT against glioblastoma cells, were investigated in other studies. Although there are no studies about the cytotoxic potential of other cancer types of this compound. This is the first study to investigate the cytotoxic and wound closure inhibition effects of DOT on A549 lung and DU145 prostate cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay, and the IC₅₀ values for A549 and DU145 cells were calculated as 58.78 mM and 109.33 mM, respectively, indicating a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability. The effect on wound closure was evaluated using an in vitro scratch assay. At IC₅₀ concentrations, DOT significantly inhibited wound closure in both cell lines after 24 hours compared to controls. Although the relatively high IC₅₀ values limit direct therapeutic applicability, these preliminary findings demonstrate, for the first time, that DOT possesses biological activity against lung and prostate cancer cells. Further studies are warranted to explore its potential applications.