Interference of plant extracts, phytoestrogens and antioxidants with the MTT tetrazolium assay by Regina Bruggisser and others 2026-11-05
View more
Primary abstract and byline: Regina Bruggisser, Katrin von Daeniken, Gernot Jundt, Willi Schaffner and Heide Tullberg-Reinert. Planta Medica 68(5), 445–448 (May 2002), DOI 10.1055/s-2002-32073. Cell number assessed by crystal violet declined while MTT formazan increased under kaempferol treatment. Cell-free tests showed direct reduction with kaempferol, resveratrol and selected extracts. These observations motivate chemical and optical controls; they do not make every positive assay signal a cell count.
Additional verified locator: final two sentences of the primary abstract, PMID 12058323. Washing kaempferol-treated MCF7 and HS578 cells before adding MTT significantly reduced direct dye reduction. The comparison supports chemical interference under those assay conditions; it does not show that washing eliminates all interference or reverses prior biological exposure. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12058323/?dopt=Abstract
Read the full article