Abstract
Cereal phenolic extracts have previously been investigated for their potential anticancer properties; however, the exact mechanisms involved in the inhibition of tumour growth are unclear. One possible mechanism is the induction of apoptosis which is characterised by cell shrinkage, protein fragmentation, and DNA degradation followed by rapid engulfment of cell debris by macrophages. This study examines the ability of phenolic extracts from four cereals: rice, barley, oats and sorghum to induce apoptosis on colorectal cancer cells SW480. Wholegrain extracts from pigmented varieties of red rice, purple rice, black sorghum, and brown sorghum showed a significant reduction in cancer cell proliferation. Morphological observation using APOPercentage™ dye indicated positive for apoptosis. Further analyses of Yunlu29 (rice), Shawaya Short Black 1 and IS1136 (sorghum) showed expression of p53 and confirmed activation of multiple caspases, specifically for caspase 3 and 7. Purple rice, on the other hand, did not upregulate caspase 3 and 7, hence, suggestive of cell cycle arrest. Therefore, phenolic compounds present in cereals such as pigmented rice and sorghum may suppress cancer cell proliferation through the activation of the apoptosis.
Highlights
Cancer is a multifaceted disease and, of its many forms lung, breast and bowel cancer are the most common globally [1]
This study aims to investigate the pro-apoptotic activity of whole grain cereal phenolic extracts and the possible potential pathway to induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells
Colorectal cancer cells SW480 were treated with different varieties of rice, barley, oats and sorghum phenolic extracts at concentrations of
Summary
Cancer is a multifaceted disease and, of its many forms lung, breast and bowel cancer are the most common globally [1]. According to the World Health Organization, a third of cancer-related deaths arise as a result of poor dietary patterns [2]. Research has shown that some whole grain varieties of cereals such as rice (Oryza sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oats (Avena sativa L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) are good sources of phenolic compounds. These phenolic compounds are commonly found in the lipid rich layers of the bran and have the ability to readily scavenge free radicals [5,6]. Derivatives of anthocyanin present in sorghum, 3-deoxyanthocyanidin have been demonstrated to have anti-proliferative potential [7,8,9]
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