Novel molecular, cytotoxical, and immunological study on promising and selective anticancer activity of Mung bean sprouts

Zamberi Sekawi,Ahmed S Abdulamir,Fatimah Abu Bakar,Farid Azizi Jalilian,Faridah Abas,Rand R Hafidh

doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-208

Abstract

BackgroundThe anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of mung bean sprouts (MBS) and the underlying mechanisms against human cervical and hepatocarcinoma cancer cells were explored.MethodsMBS cytotoxicity and MBS-induced anticancer cytokines, TNF-α and IFN-β from cancer cells, and immunological cytokines, IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-10 from peripheral mononuclear cells (PMNC) were assessed by MTS and ELISA assays. Apoptotic cells were investigated by flow cytometry. The expression level of apoptotic genes (Bax, BCL-2, Capsases 7–9) and cell cycle regulatory genes (cyclin D, E, and A) and tumor suppressor proteins (p27, p21, and p53) was assessed by real-time qPCR in the cancer cells treated with extract IC50.ResultsThe cytotoxicity on normal human cells was significantly different from HeLa and HepG2 cells, 163.97 ± 5.73, 13.3 ± 0.89, and 14.04 ± 1.5 mg/ml, respectively. The selectivity index (SI) was 12.44 ± 0.83 for HeLa and 11.94 ± 1.2 for HepG2 cells. Increased levels of TNF-α and IFN-β were observed in the treated HeLa and HepG2 culture supernatants when compared with untreated cells. MBS extract was shown to be an immunopolarizing agent by inducing IFNγ and inhibiting IL-4 production by PBMC; this leads to triggering of CMI and cellular cytotoxicity. The extract induced apoptosis, in a dose and time dependent manner, in treated HeLa and HepG2, but not in untreated, cells (P < 0.05). The treatment significantly induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 in HeLa cells. The percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase of the treated HeLa cells increased from 62.87 ± 2.1%, in untreated cells, to 80.48 ± 2.97%. Interestingly, MBS IC50 induced the expression of apoptosis and tumor suppressor related genes in both HeLa and HepG2 cells. MBS extract succeeded in inducing cdk-inhibitors, p21, p53, and p27 in HeLa cells while it induced only p53 in HepG2 cells (P < 0.05). This is a clue for the cell type- specific interaction of the studied extract. These proteins inhibit the cyclin-cdk complexes apart from the presence of some other components that might stimulate some cyclins such as cyclin E, A, and D.ConclusionMBS extract was shown to be a potent anticancer agent granting new prospects of anticancer therapy using natural products.

Highlights

The anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of mung bean sprouts (MBS) and the underlying mechanisms against human cervical and hepatocarcinoma cancer cells were explored
Cytotoxicity on human cancer cells The results of the current study revealed that the cytotoxic effects of MBS extract on normal human cells (PBMC) was significantly different (P < 0.05) from that on human cancer cells (Table 2)
The cytotoxic effect of MBS extract on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), expressed as concentration of 50% inhibition (CC50), was 163.97 mg/ml while its IC50 on HeLa cells was 13.3 mg/ml and on HepG2 cells was 14.04 mg/ml. These findings revealed that MBS extract required high concentrations to be cytotoxic on normal human cells (Figure 1) while only low concentrations were enough to give the same effect on human cancer cells (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of mung bean sprouts (MBS) and the underlying mechanisms against human cervical and hepatocarcinoma cancer cells were explored. The phytochemical compounds are found to be integral components of human diet. They are commonly present as constituents of flowering plants, of food plants [2]. Much information exists nowadays on the antitumor action of plants, and many in vitro studies have concentrated on the direct and indirect actions of phytochemicals on tumor cells, and have found a variety of anticancer effects such as cell growth [5], kinase activity inhibition [6], apoptosis induction [7], and suppression of the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases, and tumor invasive behavior [8]. The discovery of new anticancer agents from plant-derived substances is considered to be a highly promising approach in order to enrich the pharmaceutical field with effective drugs of lower side effects

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