Abstract

 
 
 
 Purpose: To determine the effect of fresh soy milk and its compounds (coumestrol, daidzein and genistein) on apoptosis in human leukemic cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
 Methods: The apoptotic effect of fresh soy milk and its compounds on human leukemic cells (K562, Jurkat, U937) and PBMC was determined by flow cytometry. The PBMC from healthy donors were isolated by conducting density gradient centrifugation principle. Lymphoprep and cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated by 3-(4,5- ‘;1dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) MTT) assay.
 Results: PBMC treatment of daidzein and genistein had a significantly higher half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.0001), compared to the leukemia cells. In addition, soy milk had a significantly higher IC50 value (p < 0.05) in PBMC than the leukemia cells. Coumestrol induced a significantly increased apoptotic cells in K562, U937 cells (p < 0.01) and Jurkat cells (p < 0.05). However, daidzein only increased apoptosis (p < 0.05) in K562 and U937. Genistein reported a significantly increased apoptotic cell in K562, Jurkat (p < 0.01) and U937 cells (p < 0.001). Nonetheless, in PBMC, significant apoptosis by the compounds did not occur. However, only soy milk induced a significantly increased apoptosis in PBMC (p < 0.05).
 Conclusion: The findings indicate that coumestrol, daidzein, genistein and soy milk inhibits the viability of leukemia cells by apoptosis induction, but they are non-toxic toward normal cells. Therefore, the results suggest that the compound alone, and thus, soy milk might have a therapeutic effect in leukemia.
 
 
 
Highlights
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that occurs in adults and children, and characterized as an abnormal growth of white blood cells in the bone marrow
The study revealed that coumestrol, daidzein and genistein had IC50 value of slightly higher than 4μg/ml in all leukemia cells and much higher than >100 μg/mL toward peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and were significantly different between both types of cells
Soy milk showed IC50 value < 100 μg/mL in human PBMC, the value still had significant difference compared to leukemic cells
Summary
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that occurs in adults and children, and characterized as an abnormal growth of white blood cells in the bone marrow. (2.4%) new cases and 309,006 (3.2%) deaths, and was ranked 15th place from all 36 cancer sites [1]. Major components of isoflavones are daidzein and genistein, which are widely found in soybeans, and can suppress the growth and division of cancer cells [6]. Constituents of soybeans have been widely studied for anticancer properties. Fermented fresh soy milk was shown to induce apoptosis and suppress chemically induced mammary cancer in vivo. The risk of getting breast cancer in pre menopause and post menopause Asian women were reduced after prior exposure to soy-based products, the association of the anticancer properties of soy milk in lessening the risk of getting cancer [7]
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