Pro-apoptotic activity against cancer stem cells differs between different parts of sweet sorghum

Aaron R. Massey; Lavanya Reddivari; Sridhar Radhakrishnan; Venkata Charepalli; Eranda Karunathilake Kurundu Hewage; Vadde Ramakrishna; Jairam K.P. Vanamala

Journal of Functional Foods (May 2016)

Pro-apoptotic activity against cancer stem cells differs between different parts of sweet sorghum

Aaron R. Massey,
Lavanya Reddivari,
Sridhar Radhakrishnan,
Venkata Charepalli,
Eranda Karunathilake Kurundu Hewage,
Vadde Ramakrishna,
Jairam K.P. Vanamala

Affiliations

Aaron R. Massey: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Lavanya Reddivari: Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Sridhar Radhakrishnan: Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Venkata Charepalli: Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Eranda Karunathilake Kurundu Hewage: Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Vadde Ramakrishna: Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Jairam K.P. Vanamala: Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; The Pennsylvania State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Food Science, The Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease (CMIID), Pennsylvania State University, 326 Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Tel.: +1 814 865 6842; fax: 8148636132.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 23
pp. 601 – 613

Abstract

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The extracts from sweet sorghum stalk were previously shown to eliminate human colon cancer stem cells (CCSC) in a partial p53-dependent fashion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we transfected CCSC with shRNA against p53 and treated with sweet sorghum phenolics extracted from different plant components. While all sweet sorghum components demonstrated anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in CCSC, phenolics extracted from the dermal layer and seed head were more potent in eliminating CCSC by elevating caspase 3/7 activity, poly ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage, and DNA fragmentation in a p53-dependent and partial p53-dependent manner, respectively. These effects were associated with decreases in β-catenin, cyclin D1, cMyc, and survivin protein levels. These results suggest that the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of sweet sorghum extracts against CCSC are potentially via suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in a p53-dependent (dermal layer) and partial p53-dependent (seed head) manner.

Published in Journal of Functional Foods

ISSN: 1756-4646 (Print); 2214-9414 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Home economics: Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-functional-foods

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