Antiproliferative effects of Ceratonia siliqua L. on mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line.
Extracts from pods and leaves of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) were tested for their ability to inhibit cell proliferation of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (T1). The two extracts showed a marked alteration of T1 cell proliferation in a dose-related fashion reaching the maximal effect at 1 mg/ml. Moreover, we demonstrated that leaf and pod extracts were able to induce apoptosis in T1 cell lines after 24-h treatment mediating a direct activation of the caspase 3 pathway. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate and (-) epicatechin-3-gallate in pod and leaf extracts, compounds well known to exert antiproliferative effects. Their concentration reached 6.28 mg/g in carob leaves and 1.36 mg/g in carob pods extract. The discovery that carob pod and leaf extracts contained antiproliferative agents could be of practical importance in the development of functional foods and/or chemopreventive drugs.
Corsi
L
L
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Via Campi, 183, Modena and Reggio Emilia University, 41100 Modena, Italy. corsi.lorenzo@unimo.it
Avallone
R
R
Cosenza
F
F
Farina
F
F
Baraldi
C
C
Baraldi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology; D059808:Polyphenols; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011108:Polymers; D059808:Polyphenols; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases