Anticarcinogenic Activity of Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry Extracts to Breast and Cervical Cancer Cells

Abstract

Freeze-dried fruits of two strawberry cultivars, Sweet Charlie and Carlsbad, and two blueberry cultivars, Tifblue and Premier were sequentially extracted with hexane, 50% hexane/ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and 70% acetone/water at ambient temperature. Each extract was tested separately for in vitro anticancer activity on cervical and breast cancer cell lines. Ethanol extracts from all four fruits strongly inhibited CaSki and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines and MCF-7 and T47-D breast cancer cell lines. An unfractionated aqueous extract of raspberry and the ethanol extract of Premier blueberry significantly inhibited mutagenesis by both direct-acting and metabolically activated carcinogens.

Involvement of the Nrf2 Pathway in the Regulation of Pterostilbene-Induced Apoptosis in HeLa Cells via ER Stress

“…The unique ROS metabolism in cancer cells may represent a therapeutic target (10,11). Indeed, the variety of ROS levels after Pte treatment was a primary focus in the present study.…”

“…In an previous effort to identify the chemopreventive effects on cancer cells of ethanol extracts from certain edible berries, strawberry and blueberry extracts were found to significantly decrease the growth of cervical and breast cancer cells, with blueberry extracts inhibiting the growth of the cervical cancer cells more than that of the breast cancer cells (10,29). Pte, a resveratrol analog, was originally found by Langcake and Pryce to be a major component of the ethanol extracts of those fruits, and its pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidant activity and antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects, have been characterized (30).…”

“…Indeed, early encouraging results from in vitro studies and clinical trials suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulation therapy in patients warrants further investigation, particularly with regard to the signal transduction pathways involved in the intracellular thiol redox environment (10,11). Reduced glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant intracellular thiol and is therefore the major regulator of intracellular redox homeostasis (12).…”

“…Epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of fruits and vegetables to a reduced risk of cervical cancer, particularly the small fruits that are rich sources of pharmacologically active stilbenes (10). The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is an economically repressed area in China but is rich in natural resources, particularly grapes and berries.…”

Intake of Specific Fruits and Vegetables in Relation to Risk of Estrogen Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer among Postmenopausal Women

“…Both strawberry and blueberry extracts have shown to reduce growth in breast cancer cell lines [15][16][17]. In mice, strawberries extract has reduced tumor progression by enhancing apoptosis [18].…”