Background and purpose: Breast cancer mortality is growing around the world due to chemotherapy resistance and chemo-related side effects. Many natural products from plants are recognized to exert anticancer activity. This study aimed at investigating anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of different varieties of apricot kernels (Jahangiri, Palmia, Jafari, and N585) at different concentrations on breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (Huvec), as normal cells, at 24 and 72h after treatment. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, fruits of four different apricot cultivars were collected from the orchard of Kermanshah Agricultural Research Center, Iran. Hydro-ethanolic extract of apricot kernels were used at different concentrations (25, 100, 400, and 1200 μg/ml). The control group did not receive any supplement. The cytotoxicity of different concentrations was determined by MTT assay and acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining was performed to evaluate the extent of apoptosis. Data were analyzed using ANOVA in SPSS. Duncan’s test was used to test the differences between treatments. Results: After 24 and 72 hours, the highest reduction in proliferation of cancer and normal cells occurred at highest concentration of N585 cultivar (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that different apricot kernel cultivars act differently in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer and normal cells.
