Abstract
Consistent intake of legumes has been correlated with decreased possibility of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) due to the content of some phytochemicals like polyphenols. Bambara groundnut (BGN) is an underutilized crop with a rich nutritional profile, but have not been exploited for its nutraceutical and medicinal benefits. In this study, total polyphenol, flavonoid (flavonol and flavanol) content, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity/antiproliferative properties of 70% ethanolic extracts of whole BGN, cotyledon and seed coat on Caco-2 and HT-29 colon cancer cells were evaluated. Seed coat had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher composition of total polyphenol, flavonol and flavan-3-ol (flavanol) compared to whole seed and cotyledon. Antioxidant activity determined with ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2- azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, showed that seed coat with higher polyphenolic content had significantly (p < 0.05) greater antioxidant activity. BGN fractions demonstrated cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects against HT-29 and Caco-2 colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, with seed coat and whole seed exhibiting greater cytotoxicity and higher antiproliferative activity and colon cancer cell inhibition. Extracts of the cotyledon also showed cytotoxic activity and hindered cancer cell growth/division but to a significantly (p < 0.05) lower magnitude. BGN parts indicated a greater cytotoxic effect and potential to slow down Caco-2 colon cancer cell growth and division over HT-29. This result provides new knowledge on the possible health benefits of BGN, as well as the potential for product development and may influence its consumption and utilisation.
Highlights
Worldwide, consumer's attractions, longing and request for natural components from food is on the rise because of the increased consciousness of diet-related health problems and the important role food play in preventing disease, health promotion and wellness
The pods were shelled with modified groundnut Sheller and packaged in sealed containers and transported to Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) for the experiment
Compared to other varieties, the black Bambara groundnut (BGN) landrace had the lowest content of polyphenols in the whole seed and fractional parts
Summary
Consumer's attractions, longing and request for natural components from food is on the rise because of the increased consciousness of diet-related health problems and the important role food play in preventing disease, health promotion and wellness. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds that possess health benefits and protect against numerous disorders like diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, cancer, viral infection and others (Sharma et al, 2011) They advance good health and promote wellness by blocking or treating diseases which are achieved through exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antiviral, antihypertensive, antidiabetic effects, or by preventing osteoporosis, heart disease, DNA damage and other chronic illness (Oboh, 2006; Prakash and Gupta 2011; Sharma et al, 2011) Many studies have demonstrated that consistent intake of legumes and whole-grains decrease the development of chronic disorders linked with oxidative damage because of the rich phenolic phytochemical contents (Amic et al, 2003; Marathe et al, 2011). Acknowledging the significance role of legume in human nutrition, the World Health Organization (WHO, 1990) recommended at least 30 g of legumes and seeds per day for optimum health and chronic disease prevention
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