Cytotoxic and Pro-apoptotic Effects of Malvidin Anthocyanin in Berry Fruits on Colon Cancer

Aim: Increasing consumer consciousness elevated the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Berries are among the most consumed fruits. The colorful nature of berries comes from the anthocyanins, a subgroup of flavonoids. The six anthocyanins in berries are cyanidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin, which gives blue color and is the least abundant (7%). Anti-carcinogenic and pro-apoptotic effects of malvidin have been studied insufficiently in literature due possibly to its small presence in berries. Method: In this study, the cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of malvidin was measured on HT-29 human colon cancer cell line. Malvidin (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM) was applied on HT-29 cells for 24, 48, and 72 hours, and cell viability was measured using MTT and CellTiter-Glo methods, while apoptosis indicators were measured using Caspase-Glo 3/7 assay. Results: Malvidin has showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity on the cells with 72-hour IC50 value as low as 62.22 μM. To find out whether malvidin induced cytotoxicity through apoptosis, Caspase-Glo 3/7 assay was used, which showed that 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM malvidin applications elevated the caspase 3/7 activation at 72 hours by 1.26, 1.47, 1.94, and 2.21 times, respectively. Conclusion: As a result, it has been determined that malvidin has cytotoxic effects on colon cancer cells and this occurs via the activation of apoptosis pathway. Therefore, inclusion of berry fruits rich in anthocyanins in diet may be beneficial against gastrointestinal malignancies.