Journal of Food Science

Cyanidin‐3‐ O ‐glucoside and cisplatin inhibit proliferation and downregulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in cervical cancer cells

Abstract Natural compounds have been increasingly investigated as substances enhancing the effect of drugs and reducing drug‐related adverse reactions. The objective of this study was to determine how a combination of cisplatin (DDP) with cyanidin‐3‐ O ‐glucoside (C3G) affected malignancy features of cervical cancer cells. The results demonstrated that the proliferation of HeLa cells treated with 5 µg/ml DDP, 400 µg/ml C3G, or a combination of both (5 µg/ml DDP and 400 µg/ml C3G) was inhibited by 17.43%, 34.98%, and 63.38%, respectively. The IC 50 values for DDP and the DDP/C3G combination treatments in HeLa cells were 18.53 and 6.435 µg/ml, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that treatment with DDP, C3G, or the combination induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HeLa cells. Furthermore, after treatment, cyclin D1 and Bcl‐2 levels decreased; Bax, cleaved caspase‐3, p53, and TIMP‐1 were activated; and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was modulated. These anticancer effects were enhanced in cells treated with the combination of DDP and C3G compared to those treated with DDP or C3G alone. Our study indicates that C3G increases the antitumor activity of DDP, suggesting a potential strategy to reduce adverse effects associated with chemotherapy in cervical cancer. Practical Application Natural biologically active food ingredients are suggested to have a potential to enhance the effect of chemotherapy in cancer. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it revealed, for the first time, that C3G could increase the antitumor activity of DDP, suggesting a potential strategy to reduce adverse effects associated with chemotherapy in cervical cancer.

Effect of ultrasound‐assisted extraction on phenolic profile, bio‐accessibility, OVCAR‐3, and SKOV‐3 cytotoxicity in blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa L.)

Abstract This study aimed to examine the extraction of specific phenolic compounds from blackthorn using ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) and to evaluate the influence of UAE on the phenolic composition, bioaccessibility, and cytotoxic effect evaluated on ovarian cancer (OVCAR‐3 and SKOV‐3) and healthy (HaCaT) cell lines. The UAE parameters were optimized by modeling with the response surface method. Temperature, time, and ultrasound amplitude were utilized to determine the optimal extraction conditions. Optimization experiments were conducted to assess the influence of independent variables on the maximum concentrations of six phenolic compounds identified via high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The optimal conditions for UAE were determined as an extraction temperature of 33.177°C, a duration of 4.334 min, and an amplitude of 38.980%. The phenolic profile of the extract obtained under optimized UAE conditions (B‐UAE opt ) was re‐examined, confirming that it remained consistent at the individual component level. Using an in vitro digestion model, UAE was found to increase the bioaccessibility of antioxidant activity in the small intestine. The IC 50 values for OVCAR‐3 were 64 and 67 mg mL −1 for blackthorn and B‐UAE opt , while the IC 50 values for SKOV‐3 were 53 mg mL −1 and 50 mg mL −1 for blackthorn and B‐UAE opt , respectively. This study showed that UAE is an exceptionally effective method for extracting phenolic compounds from blackthorn, as it preserves the phenolic profile, enhances bioaccessibility, and maintains cytotoxic effects without any detrimental impact.

Effect of cruciferous vegetable intake on cancer: An umbrella review of meta‐analysis

Abstract Previous systematic evaluations and meta‐analyses of the relationship between cruciferous vegetable (CV) intake and cancer risk have yielded inconsistent results. Herein, we summarize and evaluate the existing data and examine the relationship between CV intake and cancer risk. We searched four databases for cancer risk as a key outcome indicator. AMSTAR‐2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews, PRISMA 2020 was used to evaluate the report quality, and corrected coverage area analysis was used to evaluate the duplication rate of the original documents. Overall, 22 meta‐analyses involving 175 independent cancer studies were included. Evidence on lung, gastric, prostate, breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, as well as renal cell carcinoma, suggests a potential association between cancer and CV intake, which influences the risk of various cancers. Future research should focus on improving methods and techniques, controlling influencing factors, elucidating underlying mechanisms, and improving evidence quality to demonstrate the association between CV intake and cancer. The potential role of dietary CVs in cancer control has implications for public health policies.