Inhibition of Caco-2 Cancer Cell Growth by Prunus Serotina Extracts Obtained by Sonication

Abstract

The fruit and seed of the black cherry or Capulin (Prunus serotina) are traditionally consumed in central and southern Mexico. Black cherries contain high antioxidants with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-parasitic properties. Sonication can be used to extract higher amounts of these antioxidant compounds compared to classical methods. Methanolic extracts were made from pulp alone and with seed with or without sonication. The antioxidant capacity of the extract by DPPH, total sugars, and phenols, as well as the compound profile by thin layer chromatography (TLC), was characterized. The cytotoxic activity of the extracts was evaluated in colon cancer cells Caco-2. Without the sonication process, the ground pulp with seed presents a 1.2-1.3 fold increase in antioxidants than the sonicated pulp and seed. The sample containing only pulp exhibits similar behavior, increasing 1.5 times more the content of total phenols. The increase in antioxidant capacity and total phenolic contents positively correlated with their antiproliferative effect in Caco-2 cells, where pulp extracts with seed and without sonication showed a marked decrease in cell viability. Identifying compounds by TLC indicates more phenolic compounds in the extracts with seeds. Grinding the seed with the pulp increases the content of phenolic compounds, while sonication in a bath is not a very efficient method for extracting more phenolic compounds than extraction by agitation from P. serotina fruits.