Inactivation of E-cadherin results in cell migration and invasion, hence leading to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Downregulation of E-cadherin is closely correlated with a poor prognosis in invasive breast cancer. Thus, re-introducing E-cadherin is a novel strategy for cancer therapy. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine, β-elemene (ELE), on E-cadherin expression, cell migration and invasion in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. MCF-7 cells were treated with 50 and 100 µg/ml ELE. E-cadherin mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction. E-cadherin protein levels were determined by immunofluorescence and western blot assays. Cell motility was measured by a Transwell assay. ELE increased both the protein and mRNA levels of E-cadherin, accompanied by decreased cell migration and invasion. Further analysis demonstrated that ELE upregulated estrogen receptor‑α (ERα) and metastasis-associated protein 3 (MTA3), and decreased the nuclear transcription factor Snail. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that ELE decreases cell migration and invasion by upregulating E-cadherin expression via controlling the ERα/MTA3/Snail signaling pathway.