The major hallmarks of
tumor progression are angiogenesis, migration and
metastasis. Among the components of Rhodiola rosea,
salidroside (p‑hydroxyphenethyl-β‑d-
glucoside) is one of the most potent, and is present in all Rhodiola species. Recent data have revealed the anticancer effects of
salidroside; however, the mechanism underlying its ability to inhibit
tumor angiogenesis remains unknown. The present study aimed to analyze how
salidroside affects major factors involved in
breast cancer, and to elucidate its ability to inhibit angiogenesis and invasion. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a marker for
tumor angiogenesis and migration, which interacts with
matrix metalloproteinases (
MMPs). Specifically,
MMPs act as a downstream target for STAT3. Using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, the present study demonstrated that treatment of MDA‑MB 231
triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells with
salidroside led to inhibition of invasion and migration markers, and of STAT3 signaling. Furthermore, in vitro angiogenesis analyses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells confirmed the anti-angiogenic activity of
salidroside. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay also demonstrated that
salidroside may inhibit the
DNA-binding activity of STAT3, preventing STAT3 from binding to a novel binding site of the MMP2 gene promoter. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that
salidroside may downregulate the STAT3 signaling pathway, and inhibit cell viability, migration and invasion through
MMPs in
breast cancer cells.