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Anthocyanins and Phenolic Acids of Hybrid and Native Blue Maize (Zea mays L.) Extracts and Their Antiproliferative Activity in Mammary (MCF7), Liver (HepG2), Colon (Caco2 and HT29) and Prostate (PC3) Cancer Cells

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Abstract

Blue maize is an excellent source of bioactive components such as phenolic acids and anthocyanins but when it is processed for human consumption, these compounds decrease considerably. Therefore, blue maize could be directed to produce nutraceutical extracts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between anthocyanins composition of acidified and non-acidified extracts from native and hybrid blue maize genotypes and their antiproliferative effect in mammary (MCF7), liver (HepG2), colon (Caco2 and HT29) and prostate (PC3) cancer cells. The most abundant phenolic acid was ferulic acid. Nine anthocyanins were quantified in the extracts, being Cy3-Glu the most abundant. Acylated forms were also obtained in high abundance depending of the extraction method. An extract concentration range of 4.31 to 7.23 mg/mL inhibited by 50 % the growth of untransformed cells NIH3T3. Antiproliferative effect on PC3, Caco2, HepG2 and MCF7 cancer cells of acidified extracts from hybrid blue maize was larger than the observed using non-acidified extracts. Among the nine compounds that were quantified in the extracts tested, CyMalGlu I showed the strongest correlation with the reduction of cell viability in Caco2 (−0.876), HepG2 (−0.813), MCF7 (−0.765) and PC3 (−0.894). No significant correlation or differences in antiproliferative effect on HT29 was found among the extracts. The method of extraction of maize anthocyanins must be selected to obtain a high yield of CyMalGlu I more than only Cy3-Glu since acylation affects the inhibition of cancer cell growth.

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Abbreviations

Cy3-Glu:

Cyanidin 3-glucoside

CydiSucGlu:

Cyanidin disuccinyl-glucoside

CyMalGlu:

Cyanidin malonyl-glucoside

CySucGlu:

Cyanidin succinyl-glucoside

Pg3-Glu:

Pelargonidin 3-glucoside

PgMalGlu:

Pelargonidin malonyl-glucoside

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Acknowledgments

We thank Hibridos Lobo, Grupo Ceres and CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo) for the provided maize samples and to Irasema Romo for the provided technical support. Also, thanks to CONACYT for the funding provided for scholarship and travelling expenses (Programa Becas Mixtas) and Nutriomics Research Chair from Tecnológico de Monterrey.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Carretera a Eldorado Km 5.5 Col. Campo El Diez, Culiacán, Sinaloa, CP 80129, Mexico

    D. A. Urias-Lugo, J. B. Heredia, M. D. Muy-Rangel & J. B. Valdez-Torres

  2. Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey-Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey, NL, CP 64849, Mexico

    S. O. Serna-Saldívar & J. A. Gutiérrez-Uribe

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  1. D. A. Urias-Lugo
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  2. J. B. Heredia
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  3. M. D. Muy-Rangel
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  4. J. B. Valdez-Torres
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Correspondence to J. A. Gutiérrez-Uribe.

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Urias-Lugo, D.A., Heredia, J.B., Muy-Rangel, M.D. et al. Anthocyanins and Phenolic Acids of Hybrid and Native Blue Maize (Zea mays L.) Extracts and Their Antiproliferative Activity in Mammary (MCF7), Liver (HepG2), Colon (Caco2 and HT29) and Prostate (PC3) Cancer Cells. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 70, 193–199 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-015-0479-4

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