Antiproliferative Activities of 36 Vegetables in China on HepG2 and Caco-2 Cells

Abstract:

The work was to determine the phenolic contents and the antiproliferative activities on human liver cells HepG2 and human colon cancer cells Caco-2 of 36 commonly consumed vegetables in China. Based on the Folin-Ciocalteu method，Brassica alboglabra L. H. Bailey(Chinese kale)(973.09±31.29 ?滋mol GAE/100 g of fresh vegetable) and Nodus Nelumbins Rhizomatis(lotus root)(920.55±29.00 ?滋mol GAE/100 g of fresh vegetable) were found to have the highest total phenolic contents，whereas Luffa cylindrica(L.)(Roem. towel gourd)(44.94±4.16 ?滋mol GAE/100 g fresh vegetable) had the lowest phenolic content. According to the methylene blue assay for the quantifiable antiproliferative activities，A. tuberosum(Chinese chive) and galic bolt(garlic sprout) had the strongest antiproliferative activities on HepG2 cells with EC50 values of 15.96±0.88 mg/mL and 17.54±0.03 mg/mL，respectively，and A. tuberosum(Chinese chive) also had the strongest antiproliferative activity on Caco-2 cells(EC50 value of 21.08±1.67 mg/mL)；Brassicachinensis L.(Shanghai pakchoi)(EC50 value of 390.52±17.63 mg/mL) and Ipomoea aquatica Forsk.(water spinach)(EC50 value of 394.25±11.89 mg/mL) exerted the weakest antiproliferative activities on HepG2 cells，and Capsicum annuum(green chili pepper)(EC50 value of 390.217±4.78 mg/mL) had the weakest activity on Caco-2 cells. The study did not prove a significant correlation between the total phenolic contents and the antiproliferative activities on HepG2(R2=0.0271，p>0.05) and Caco-2(R2=0.151 2，p>0.05) cells，indicating that the inhibition of cancer cells by vegetables could not be explained solely by their phenolic contents.