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Sunday 27 September 2015

Phenolic profiles and antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activities of Greek herbal infusions; balancing delight and chemoprevention?

Volume 142, 1 January 2014, Pages 233–241

Phenolic profiles and antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activities of Greek herbal infusions; balancing delight and chemoprevention?


Highlights

Chemopreventive potential of six aromatic plants’ infusions was tested.
LC-DAD-MS and GC–MS showed major differences in infusions’ phenolic profiles.
Infusions were rich in phenolics and exhibited radical scavenging activities.
Infusions inhibited proliferation in HT29 colon cancer and PC3 prostate cancer cells.
They additionally reduced IL-8 and regulated NF-kB in both cancer cell lines.

Abstract

Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and phenolic profiles of six herbal infusions – namely rosemary, Cretan dittany, St. John’s Wort, sage, marjoram and thyme were assayed. Additionally, the infusion anticarcinogenic effect as to their ability to (a) scavenge free radicals, (b) inhibit cell growth, (c) decrease IL-8 levels and (d) regulate p65 subunit in epithelial colon cancer (HT29) and prostate (PC3) cancer cells was investigated. LC-DAD-MS and GC–MS analyses showed major qualitative and quantitative differences in phenolic profiles of the infusions. All herbal infusions exhibited antiradical activity which correlated strongly with their total phenolic content. Infusions exhibited the potential to inhibit cell growth and to reduce IL-8 levels in HT29 colon and PC3 prostate cancer cells. The regulation reported in p65 subunit in HT29 treated with St John’s Wort and in PC3 treated with thyme might point to the NF-κB as the molecular target underlying the effect of these infusions.

Abbreviations

  • DPPH, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl;
  • MTT, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide;
  • IL-8, interleukin-8;
  • NF-κB, nuclear factor-kappa B;
  • DMEM, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium

Keywords

  • Herbal infusions;
  • LC-DAD-MS;
  • GC-MS;
  • Polyphenols;
  • Terpenic acids;
  • Colon cancer;
  • Prostate cancer;
  • Cell growth arrest;
  • Inflammation;
  • IL-8;
  • p65 Subunit

Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 210 9549251; fax: +30 210 9577050.