The phytochemical brazilin suppress DNMT1 expression by recruiting p53 to its promoter resulting in the epigenetic restoration of p21 in MCF7cells

•Brazilin restrict proliferation of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells.•It mitigates DNMT1 expression and introduce global DNA hypomethylation.•Brazilin elevates p53 binding to the DNMT1 promoter that might alter its transcription.•Reduction in promoter CpG methylation allow p21 transcription after brazilin exposure.