Food Res Int. 2017 Jun;96:12-18. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2017.03.017. Epub 2017 Mar 11.
- 1
- BioNano Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
- 2
- School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
- 3
- BioNano Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: sneethir@uoguelph.ca.
Abstract
Cancer
is the leading cause of mortality in Canada and other industrialized
nations; the development of new/improved cancer therapies is desperately
needed and continues to be a major focus of cancer research.
Flavonoids, which are found in high levels in onions, have been shown to
exert antiproliferative and potentially anti-cancer activities. To test
their therapeutic potential, we assessed the antiproliferative,
cytotoxic, apoptosis-inducing, and anti-migratory activities of five
onion varieties grown in Ontario against human adenocarcinoma (Caco-2)
cells. The properties of onion extracts were compared to pure extracts
of flavonoids known to exhibit antiproliferative effects (quercetin,
myricetin, and kaempferol). We compared more than one variety of onion,
as agronomic and genetic factors influence the composition, as well as
the quality of phytochemicals (e.g. flavonoids) in plant cultivars. We
found that all onion varieties exhibited antiproliferative activity
similar to purified flavonoids. The cytotoxic effects of the Stanley and
Fortress onion varieties were strongest among the selected cultivars,
as determined via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays, while Safrane
extracts showed the weakest activity. The Stanley and Lasalle cultivar
extracts also had strong anti-migratory effects. Altogether these onion
extracts may contain one or more compounds that may be effective
anti-cancer therapies, while the Stanley extract showed the most
comprehensive biological activities against Caco-2 cells.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Anti-migratory; Apoptosis; Caco-2 cells; Onion extracts; Pressurized low polarity water
