Background/Aim: Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) leaves are popular as a tea infusion in Asia and their main active ingredients are flavonoids. The present study aimed to explore the anticancer properties of flavonoids isolated from persimmon leaves (PLF). Materials and Methods: We investigated the in vitro anti-proliferative activity of PLF against several human cancer cell lines. Apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by PLF were accessed using high-content analysis with florescent staining. The ability of PLF to scavenge free radicals was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Results: PLF demonstrated significant inhibition of proliferation of liver, breast, and colorectal cancer cells in vitro. PLF induced apoptosis and increased intracellular ROS levels in HCT116 (colorectal cancer) and HepG2 (liver cancer) cells. In addition, PLF showed strong free radical scavenging ability. Conclusion: The anti-proliferation activity of PLF against cancer cells was related to the induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress.Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide and the second leading cause of death in the United States. In 2019, there were 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 cancer deaths in the United States (1). Current treatments for cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have limited curative effects and notable side effects. In recent years, various traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have demonstrated great promise in treating cancer as they have anti-cancer (2) and immune-regulation (3) activities with reduced toxicity compared to existing chemotherapeutic drugs and decreased damage to normal tissue or cells. TCM have also demonstrated synergies with chemotherapeutic drugs, enhancing their therapeutic effects and reducing their toxicity (4).Persimmon leaves are the fresh or dried leaves of Diospyros kaki L. f., a species of the Ebenaceae family. Mentioned for the first time in Materia Medica of South Yunnan, a medical book written almost 600 years ago, persimmon leaves have been reported to promote the secretion of saliva, quench thirst, clear toxic heat, moisten the lung, strengthen the heart function, suppress cough, and improve clotting function (5). Because of these benefits and the absence of toxicity, users in Asian countries like China, Korea, Japan and India have developed a habit of drinking persimmon leaf tea to prevent or alleviate diseases such as cancer, hypertension, cerebral hemorrhage, and diabetes (6, 7). These uses have given persimmon leaves the reputation of "Treasure of Fitness" (8).Studies have shown that the main active ingredients of persimmon leaves are flavonoids (9). Flavonoids are known for their anticancer (10), antioxidant (11), antibacterial (12), and hemostatic (13) activities and protective activity for the cardiovascular system (14). Zhang et al. have reported that the flavonoids in persimmon leaves were absorbed and metabolized by bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract (15). Morel et al. have repo...
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