In vitro and in vivo antimammary tumor activities and mechanisms of the apple total triterpenoids

J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Sep 19;60(37):9430-6. doi: 10.1021/jf3026925. Epub 2012 Sep 6.

Abstract

Consumption of apples has been linked to the prevention of various chronic diseases, including tumors and cardiovascular diseases. The apple total triterpenoid content (ATT) was extracted and concentrated from apple peels. The in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities, related antitumor mechanisms, were investigated. In vitro, ATT showed potent antiproliferative activities against human breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), human colon cancer (Caco-2), and human liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines. In vivo antitumor experiments showed that ATT could substantially reduce the occurrence and growth of mammary tumor with a good dose-dependent manner in a rat model. During the apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells induced by ATT, the caspase-independent pathway was involved in the process of apoptosis, and the mitochondrial transmembrane potential was markedly reduced. Also the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway was activated. These results indicated that ATT-induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells may involve a mitochondrial-related pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Female
  • Fruit / chemistry*
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Malus / chemistry*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / chemically induced
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / drug therapy*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / pathology
  • NF-kappa B / physiology
  • Oleanolic Acid / analysis
  • Oleanolic Acid / pharmacology
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / physiology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / physiology
  • Rats
  • Triterpenes / analysis
  • Triterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Triterpenes / therapeutic use*
  • Ursolic Acid

Substances

  • NF-kappa B
  • Triterpenes
  • Oleanolic Acid
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt