The anticarcinogen activity of β-arbutin on MCF-7 cells: Stimulation of apoptosis through estrogen receptor-α signal pathway, inflammation and genotoxicity.

Arbutin is one of the active ingredients employed in cosmetics as a skin whitening agent. In the present study, the possible effects of arbutin on breast cancer were determined with human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells. α and β-arbutin cytotoxicity levels in MCF-7 cells were determined with the MTT method.