Coffea arabica Bean Extracts and Vitamin C: A Novel Combination Unleashes MCF-7 Cell Death.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C (VC) is believed to enhance immunity and is regularly integrated as a supplementary agent during several treatments. OBJECTIVE: The green (GC) and roasted (RC) coffee (Coffea arabica) aqueous extracts (0, 125, 250 and 500 µg/ml) combined with VC (50 µg/ml) were examined on the cancerous MCF-7 cell line and normal human lymphocytes. METHODS: Neutral red uptake assay, comet assay, immunocytochemical reactivity for protein expression and mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes were performed. RESULTS: A significant (P< 0.05) concentration-dependent increase of apoptotic features, such as morphological changes, and abundant nuclear condensation, altered the expression of p53 and caspase-3 mRNA, down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein as well as the acidic autophagosomal vacuolization in treated cells. The oxidative stress and DNA single-strand breaks were noticed too. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that coffee in combination with VC undergoes apoptotic anticancer pathway. This supports the integration of coffee and VC as a valuable candidate for anticancer research and treatments.

HPLC Analysis of Phenolic Acids, Antioxidant Activity and in vitro Effectiveness of Green and Roasted Caffea arabica Bean Extracts: A Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is a popular drink; it is one of the most commercialized food products and a rich source of biologically active compounds that are important for human health. AIMS: This study aimed to prove the anticancer activity of Green Coffee (GC) and Roasted Coffee (RC) bean aqueous extracts (Coffea arabica) on breast cancer adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and the safety of both extracts on normal Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes culture (HPBL). METHODS: Total phenolic content for GC and RC extracts was measured and result of both extracts were (0.308±0.016 & 0.233±0.013mg/g) respectively. The phenolic acids were screened by HPLC at the wavelength of 254& 278 and 300 nm and 5-caffeoylquinic acids (Chlorogenic acid), the predominant form of phenolic acids, was identified in GC and RC samples. Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) as well as the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) proved the antioxidant properties of both extracts. The DPPH IC50 mean values of GC and RC extracts were (2.4±0.08, 2.3±0.16 µg/ml) respectively. Cytotoxicity of both extracts on MCF-7 cells were evaluated by neutral red uptake assay which showed the IC50 mean values (377±5.7,500±8.1 µg/ml) for GC and RC extracts respectively. The safety of both extracts (0, 125, 250, 500 µg/ml) on HPBL was evaluated in vitro using trypan blue exclusion method and DNA single strand breaks (alkaline comet assay). RESULTS: Result revealed non-significant cytotoxic difference (P<0.001) between cultures especially at lower doses of GC and RC extracts except the highest dose of GC and RC extract which showed slightly significant damage (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study proved that GC and RC aqueous extracts were found to be selectively cytotoxic in vitro to cancerous cells (MCF-7 cell line) causing cell death with no cytotoxicity on normal human lymphocytes especially at lower doses.

Ameliorative effect of grapefruit juice on amiodarone-induced cytogenetic and testicular damage in albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ameliorative role of grapefruit juice on the cytogenetic and testicular damage induced by the antiarrythmic drug amiodarone in albino rats. METHODS: Animals were divided into four groups. Group I was considered as control. Group II was given grapefruit juice at a dose level of 27 mL/kg body weight. Group III was orally administered amiodarone (18 mg/kg body weight) daily for 5 weeks. Animals were sacrificed after 5 weeks of treatment. Bone marrow was collected from the femurs for analysis of chromosomal aberrations and mitotic indices. Testes were removed and stained with H&E for histological examination. Sperms were collected from epidedymis for detection of sperm head abnormalities. Comet assay was used to detect DNA damage. RESULTS: Amiodarone treatment caused a significant increase in the percentage of chromosomal aberrations, decreased the mitotic index and increased DNA damage. The testis showed many histopathological alterations, inhibition of spermatogenesis and morphometric changes. The number of sperm head abnormalities was increased. Treating animals with amiodarone and grapefruit juice caused a reduction in chromosomal aberrations, mitotic index, DNA damage and testicular alterations caused by amiodarone. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that grapefruit juice ameliorates the cytotoxicty and testicular alterations induced by amiodarone in albino rats and this is may be due to the potent antioxidant effects of its components.