title: Persistence of anticancer activity in berry extracts after simulated gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation.
abstract: Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated at the population level with a protective effect against colorectal cancer. Phenolic compounds, especially abundant in berries, are of interest due to their putative anticancer activity. After consumption, however, phenolic compounds are subject to digestive conditions within the gastrointestinal tract that alter their structures and potentially their function. However, the majority of phenolic compounds are not efficiently absorbed in the small intestine and a substantial portion pass into the colon. We characterized berry extracts (raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants) produced by in vitro-simulated upper intestinal tract digestion and subsequent fecal fermentation. These extracts and selected individual colonic metabolites were then evaluated for their putative anticancer activities using in vitro models of colorectal cancer, representing the key stages of initiation, promotion and invasion. Over a physiologically-relevant dose range (0-50 µg/ml gallic acid equivalents), the digested and fermented extracts demonstrated significant anti-genotoxic, anti-mutagenic and anti-invasive activity on colonocytes. This work indicates that phenolic compounds from berries undergo considerable structural modifications during their passage through the gastrointestinal tract but their breakdown products and metabolites retain biological activity and can modulate cellular processes associated with colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, Centre for Molecular Biosciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, N. Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Emma M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Gordon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: McDougall
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pereira-Caro
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Barrio
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allsopp
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crozier
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: Chris I R
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism*; D020552:Comet Assay; D004063:Digestion; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005285:Fermentation; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism*; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D009154:Mutation; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007797:Laminin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011509:Proteoglycans; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C059485:matrigel; D019800:Phenol; D005707:Gallic Acid; D003094:Collagen; C022616:thiazolyl blue