Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of human colorectal cancer cell line HT-29 induced by vanillin.
BACKGROUND
Vanillin is responsible for the flavor and smell of vanilla, a widely used flavoring agent. Previous studies showed that vanillin could enhance the repair of mutations and thus function as an anti-mutagen. However, its role in cancer, a disease that is closely related to mutation has not yet been fully elucidated.


METHODS
Hence, this study investigated the cytolytic and cytostatic properties of vanillin against HT-29, a human colorectal cancer cell line. Methods used including cell viability assay, acridine orange (AO)-ethidium bromide (EB) double staining cell morphological analysis, Cell cycle analysis, annexin V-propidium iodide apoptosis test and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling cell proliferation assay.


RESULTS
Results showed that apoptosis was induced by vanillin and the IC(50) for HT-29 and NIH/3T3 normal cell lines were 400 microg/ml and 1000 microg/ml, respectively. Different concentrations of vanillin arrest cell cycle at different checkpoints. 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine-labeling cell proliferation assay showed that G0/G1 arrest was achieved at lower concentration of vanillin (200 microg/ml) while cell cycle analysis by flow cytometer showed that G2/M arrest occurs at higher concentration of vanillin (1000 microg/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
Cytolytic and cytostatic effects shown by vanillin showed that it could be a useful colorectal cancer preventive agent. Further in vivo study should be carried out to confirm that similar effects could happen in animals.
Ho
Ketli
K
Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Yazan
Latifah Saiful
LS
Ismail
Norsharina
N
Ismail
Maznah
M
D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells
D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D001547:Benzaldehydes; C100058:vanillin