ARS | Publication request: Berry Fruit Extracts Exhibit Chemopreventative Effects on Human Cancer Cell Lines

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 10, 2008
Publication Date: August 17, 2008
Citation: Wang, S.Y. 2008. Berry Fruit Extracts Exhibit Chemopreventative Effects on Human Cancer Cell Lines. American Chemical Society Abstracts. ACS AGFD TECH 2008, page 9

Technical Abstract: Berry fruits are considered excellent functional foods because they contain high levels of natural antioxidants. Berry fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, deerberries, raspberries, lingonberries and strawberries have high antioxidant capacities (against peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen and superoxide radicals) and antioxidant enzyme activities. We have found that berry fruit extracts (BFEs) exhibit chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities. They significantly inhibited activation of activator protein-1 (AP-1), nuclear factor-KappaB (NF-'B), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling induced by UV or 12-O-tetradecanolyphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Furthermore, BFEs inhibited TPA-induced neoplastic transformation in JB6 cells. In vivo studies indicated that BFEs decreased the number of nonmalignant and malignant skin tumors per mouse induced by TPA in 7, 12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene-initiated mouse skin. In HL-60 cells, BFEs specifically induced apoptosis, but had no effect on normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. BFEs inhibited proliferation of A549 cells, a human lung cancer cell line. Animal studies indicated that BFEs reduced the size of A549 tumor xenograft growth and significantly inhibited metastasis of A549 tumor xenograft in athymic nude mice. Further mechanistic studies suggested that BFEs inhibited migration and invasion of A549 cells. All these data suggest that BFEs may function as potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents with little cytotoxicity to normal tissue. These results also suggest that the chemopreventative effects of berry fruits may be through their antioxidant properties by blocking reactive oxygen species-mediated AP-1, NF- 'B, and MAPK activation. These results also suggest that consuming berry fruits may be beneficial to human health.