Background and Objective Doxorubicin, as an anthracycline, is highly effective chemotherapeutic agent that produces cardiac toxicity and several side effects against normal cells. Thus, finding an alternative treatment with less side effects is desirable. Literatures suggest that the side effects of the chemotherapeutic agents could be improved by combinatorial approach. Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii is one of the close relatives of Crocus. sativus (saffron). It has been shown that saffron inhibits the growth of human cancer cells without cytotoxic effect against healthy cells. Accordingly, in this study, the cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin was assessed in the presence of the stigma ethanolic extract of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii were acquired from Kurdistan Province, Sanandaj, Iran (2017). The Stigmas were separated and the ethanolic extract were prepared. The cell viability of MCF-7 cells was evaluated in the presence of doxorubicin and the ethanolic stigma extract of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii within 48 hours through MTT test. Findings The results indicated that the ethanolic stigma extract of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii at the concentration of 50 μg/ml competes with doxorubicin (0.5 μg/ml) to die cancer cells, but at the concentration of 100 μg/ml, reinforces the growth inhibitory effect of doxorubicin (0.5 μg/ml). Conclusion Based on the results, doxorubicin in combination with ethanolic stigmas extract of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii could be a promising treatment with reduced side effects by lowering the doxorubicin dosage for breast cancer. Further analysis is underway to find the chemical compound(s) in the ethanolic stigmas extract of Crocus pallasii subsp. haussknechtii.
