OBJECTIVE: To probe into the anti-proliferative effect and its mechanism of perillyl alcohol of submicron emulsion（POH-SE） on human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-435 s. METHODS: Taking perillyl alcohol solution（POH-SOL） as a control

different concentrations（0

50

100

200

400 and 800 μmol/L） of POH-SE

perillyl alcohol of chitosan submicron emulsion（POH-CSSE） acted on the cells respectively; to observe the morphological changes of cells under microscope

use the tetramethyl azozole salt（MTT） method to measure its growth inhibition rate

in situ end labeling（TUNEL） method was used to detect cell apoptosis

flow cytometry was adopted to detect cell growth cycle and apoptosis rate. RESULTS: After 96 h

the proliferation inhibition rate of POH-SE group and POH-CSSE group was significantly higher than that of POH-SOL group

and the difference was statistically significant（P<0.01）. With the extension of action time

the proliferation inhibition rate of the POH-SE group and the POH-CSSE group with the same drug concentration（800 μmol/L） was significantly higher than that of POH-SOL group

and the differences were statistically significant（P < 0. 01）. Besides

POH-CSSE had better inhibition effect than POH-SE. Different concentrations of POH-CSSE and POH-SE could induce apoptosis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-435 s cells

among which the apoptosis rates of 200 μmol/L

400 μmol/L and 800 μmol/L groups in the POH-CSSE group were significantly higher than those in the POH-SE group

and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.01）. Cells were blocked at G0/G1 phase

with the increase of concentration of POH-SE and POHCSSE

the apoptotic cells also increased and showed a dose-dependent pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibitory effects of POH-SE and POH-CSSE on human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-435 s are strong

the mechanism may be related to blocking the cell growth cycle and inducing apoptosis.