Objective:To test whether the down-regulation of Notch1 gene expression by curcumin could inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis,which may be associated mechanistically with the down-regulation of NF-κB in breast cancer cells. Methods:Breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 were cultured in vitro and treated with different dosages of curcumin(0,1.25,5.0,20.0μmol/L)for dose-dependent assay and different time(0,24,48,72 h)at the dosage of 5.0μmol/L for time course assay.The changes of the mRNA and protein expression of Notch1 and NF-κB were measured by RT-PCR and Western Blot,and MTT assay was used to measure the change of proliferation. Results:The mRNA and protein levels of Notch 1 and NF-κB were decreased significantly in human breast cancer cell line with the increase of dosage of curcumin(P＜0.05),and with the extension of time course(P＜0.05).These changes suggested a dose- and time-dependent manner.The proliferation rate of cells also was significantly inhibited(P＜0.05). Conclusion:The current results show that the Notch-1 signaling pathway is associated mechanistically with NF-κB activity during curcumin-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis of breast cancer cells.These results suggest that the down-regulation of Notch signaling by curcumin may be a novel strategy for the treatment of patients with breast cancer.