Relative Inhibition of Lipid Peroxidation, Cyclooxygenase Enzymes, and Human Tumor Cell Proliferation by Natural Food Colors

Abstract

The most abundant water soluble natural food colors are betacyanins and anthocyanins. Similarly, lycopene, bixin, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll are water insoluble colors. Pure betanin, bixin, lycopene, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were isolated from Beta vulgaris, Bixa orellana,Lycopersicum esculentum, Spinacia oleracea, Daucus carrota, and Prunus cerasus, respectively. These natural pigments, alone and in combination, were evaluated for their relative potencies against cyclooxygenase enzymes and tumor cell growth inhibition by using MCF-7 (breast), HCT-116 (colon), AGS (stomach), CNS (central nervous system), and NCI-H460 (lung) tumor cell lines. Among the colors tested, betanin, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, lycopene, and beta-carotene inhibited lipid peroxidation. However, all pigments tested gave COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition and showed a dose-dependent growth inhibition against breast, colon, stomach, central nervous system, and lung tumor cells, respectively. The mixtures of these pigments were also evaluated for their synergistic effects and chemical interactions at various concentrations. The mixture of anthocyanin and betanin negated their efficacy in the cell growth inhibitory assay and did not enhance the COX enzyme inhibitory activity. This is the first report of a comparative evaluation and the impact on biological activities of these pigments alone and in combination.

Extraction and Analysis of the Major Carotenoids of Agro-Industrial Waste Materials Using Sequential Extraction Techniques and High Performance Liquid Chromatography

“…Nowadays, the importance is increasing due to a more extensive use of natural compounds in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, following the European Union (EU)/ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directives in favor of natural rather than synthetic compounds [11][12][13]. In recent years, some synthetic colorants are consider to be responsible for allergic and intolerance reactions.…”

Naturally Occurring Anthocyanin, Structure, Functions and Biosynthetic Pathway in Fruit Plants

“…These pigments are formed in relation to UV spotlight, and shelter the DNA from injure by ultraviolet radiation of DNA double helix paired strands of inherited substances in cells and become cross-linked and also prevents cell multiplication and other pivotal cellular mechanism like protein synthesis [1,7,8].…”

Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of whole extract and isolated indicaxanthin from Opuntia ficus-indica associated with re-activation of the onco-suppressor p16INK4a gene in human colorectal carcinoma (Caco-2) cells

“…Antitumoral potential of betalain-rich extracts from dietary sources has been explored in animal models and in cancerous cell lines [5][6][7]. In addition betanin, the main dietary betacyanin, has been shown to inhibit the growth of breast, colon, stomach, CNS, and lung cancer cells [8], induce apoptosis in K562 human myeloid leukemia cell lines [9], and have a weak activity on the epigenome-regulated gene expression of MCF-7 breast [10], but not HepG2 liver [11] cancer cells. Potential antiproliferative and/or chemo-preventive and epigenetic activity of betaxanthins have not been explored so far.…”