Abstract
Phase I-II detoxification and antioxidant enzymes are responsible for the detoxification and elimination of activated carcinogens, acting as important biomarkers for chemoprevention. Among them, cytochrome P450s plays a prominent role in the metabolic activation of xenobiotics. The herb Salicornia freitagii (SF) (Amaranthaceae) is known for its anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antiinflammatory activities. In this study, we determined the bioactive phenolics in the SF methanol extract and investigated its antiproliferative potential in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. We also investigated the modulation of some phase I and II enzyme (CYP 1A1, 1A2, 2E1, GSTP1 and GPx) mRNA expression and enzymatic activities by the SF extract and its major bioactive phenolic compounds. LC/MS-MS analysis showed that the main phenolic compounds of the methanolic SF extract are vanillic acid (48 ?g/100g) and p-coumaric acid (10.8 ?g/100g). SF extract, vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid exhibited high antiproliferative activities in HT-29 cells, with IC50 values of 81.79?g/mL, 98.8 ?M and 221.6 ?M, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 were decreased, while those of GSTP1 and GPx in HT-29 cells were increased after application of either the SF extract or vanillic acid. The SF extract by itself also increased the activities of GPx and GSTP1 enzymes 1.68- and 1.49-fold, respectively. Our data indicate that the SF extract and its major bioactive compound, vanillic acid, could exert a modulatory effect on the expression of enzymes that are involved in xenobiotic activation and detoxification pathways in the gastrointestinal tract. For this reason, SF can be considered as a natural source of chemopreventive agents.
Highlights
Plant phytochemicals have gained importance in recent years due to their diverse biological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and anticancer activities
The cell-growth inhibitory effects of the Salicornia freitagii (SF) methanol extract and its bioactive components on HT-29 human adenocarcinoma cell lines were investigated by the XTT assay
The findings from the present study clearly demonstrate that the extract, vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid can inhibit the proliferation of human cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (Fig. 2)
Summary
Plant phytochemicals have gained importance in recent years due to their diverse biological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and anticancer activities. Glassworts, a group of succulent halophytic plants, belong to the Amaranthaceae family. They are consumed as vegetables and used as medicinal plants around the world. They have been classified in two different genera as Salicornia and Sarcocornia. Many epidemiological studies have revealed a relation between health benefits and the consumption of glassworts [1,2,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
