SIRT3 and Metabolic Reprogramming Mediate the Antiproliferative Effects of Whey in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Abstract

Emerging strategies to improve healthy aging include dietary interventions as a tool to promote health benefits and reduce the incidence of aging-related comorbidities. The health benefits of milk are also linked to its richness in betaines and short-chain acylcarnitines, which act synergistically in conferring anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Whey, despite being a dairy by-product, still has a considerable content of bioactive betaines and acylcarnitines. Here, we investigated the anticancer properties of whey from Mediterranean water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) milk by testing its antiproliferative effects in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells HT-29, HCT 116, LoVo and SW480. Results indicated that treatment with whey for 72 h inhibited cell proliferation (p p p p p p p < 0.01) suggesting that the whey capacity of perturbating the metabolic homeostasis in CRC cell lines is mediated by SIRT3.

Keywords

• whey
• colon cancer
• SIRT3
• mitochondria
• metabolism