Cow milk derived-fat inhibits the proliferation of liver cancer-cells

Abstract

Cow milk is a widely consumed liquid diet, and its fatty acid composition impacts its nutritional and biochemical properties. However, research on the anticancer efficacy of cow milk-derived fat in liver cancer cells is limited. This study investigated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of cow milk-derived fat in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Additionally, the effects of cow milk-derived fat on cell cycle progression and Janus kinase (JAK)-2/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 signaling in HepG2 cells were assessed. Furthermore, the histone deacetylase inhibitory and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential of cow milk-derived fat were examined. The results demonstrate that cow milk-derived fat can exert antiproliferative and anticlonogenic effects and induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells dose-dependently. Furthermore, cow milk-derived fat induced cell cycle arrest, suppressed the levels of pJAK-2 and pSTAT-3, and inhibited the total histone deacetylase activity in HepG2 cells. The fatty acid profile of cow milk-derived fat revealed that palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids were abundant as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. Our findings provide a new scientific basis for the development of anticancer strategies that utilize cow milk-derived fat and its derivatives against liver cancer.