Blueberry anthrocyanins exhibit anticancer and anti-invasive properties in breast cancer cell lines. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Blueberry anthocyanins and pyruvic acid adducts: anticancer properties in breast cancer cell lines.
Phytother Res. 2010 Jun 17. Epub 2010 Jun 17. PMID: 20564502
Department of Biochemistry (U38-FCT), Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the anticancer properties of an anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adduct extract, which is being developed aiming to be further applied in the food industry. An anthocyanin extract from blueberry (extract I) and an anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adduct extract (extract II) were tested on two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF7). Proliferation was assessed by SRB assay and (3)H-thymidine incorporation. Caspase-3 activity was determined in the presence of both extracts. Their capacity as chemoattractants and their invasive potential were also assayed.In both cell lines, extracts I and II significantly reduced cell proliferation at 250 mug/mL, after 24 h of cell incubation. Caspase-3 activity was not altered by the extracts (250 mug/mL) in either cell line, with the exception of extract II in MCF-7, which increased its activity, probably explaining its effects on cell proliferation.Both extracts (250 mug/mL) demonstrated significant antiinvasive potential in both cell lines. Furthermore, they did not demonstrate any capacity for chemotaxis.In conclusion, blueberry anthocyanins and the respective anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adducts demonstrated anticancer properties by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and by acting as cell antiinvasive factors and chemoinhibitors. The anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adduct extract showed a more pronounced effect in MDA-MB-231, suggesting an effect independent of estrogen receptors. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley&Sons, Ltd.