Investigating antitumorigenic effects of Vaccinium arctostaphylos on colorectal cancer cells

Anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects of American and European Cranberries have been previously shown on different cancer cells. Owing to the limited evidence on growth conditions and anticancer potentials of the Iranian Vaccinium genus, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, it was aimed to investigate its effect on colorectal cancer cells. In this regard, Vaccinium arctostaphylos was cultured in Woody Plant Medium (WPM) following incubation at 27°C in cycles of light and darkness. Callogenesis was induced using growth mediums containing different concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), yeast extract, and Kinetin. Total polyphenol and antioxidant activity of prepared extracts from wet and dried callus and air-dried fruit was measured through the Folin-Ciocalteu method and DPPH assay, respectively. Various concentrations (0-500 μgr/ml) of fruit and callus extracts were examined on HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells. MTT assay was employed to determine the cytotoxicity of fruit and callus extracts. Obtained data were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism V7.04. The size and weight of the obtained callus were significantly dependent on the concentrations of 2,4-D, yeast extract, and Kinetin. Dry callus has been found to have the highest amount of polyphenol and antioxidant activity. HCT-116 cell death rate (20.5%) was demonstrated to be the most for dry callus at the concentration of 400 μg/ml. However, half- maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was not achieved for any of Vaccinium arctostaphylos fruit or callus, Present evidence on cancer cell death can pave the way towards further assessment of anti-inflammatory and cancer cell cytotoxicity of the Iranian Cranberry genus.