Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells
Flaxseed oil is widely recognized for its exceptional nutritional value, high concentration of fiber-based lignans and large amounts of ω-fatty acids. It is one of a generic group of functional foods that is often taken by cancer patients as a potential treatment. We have examined the anti-cancer ef...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844019359110 |
| _version_ | 1818513222382125056 |
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| author | Alison L. Buckner Carly A. Buckner Sabine Montaut Robert M. Lafrenie |
| author_facet | Alison L. Buckner Carly A. Buckner Sabine Montaut Robert M. Lafrenie |
| author_sort | Alison L. Buckner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flaxseed oil is widely recognized for its exceptional nutritional value, high concentration of fiber-based lignans and large amounts of ω-fatty acids. It is one of a generic group of functional foods that is often taken by cancer patients as a potential treatment. We have examined the anti-cancer effects of flaxseed oil by studying its direct effects on cancer cell growth in vitro. Treatment of a variety of cancer cell lines with flaxseed oil decreased their growth in a dose-dependent manner while non-malignant cell lines showed small increases in cell growth. Cells treated with a mixture of fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid and lignans including enterodiol and enterolactone was also able to decrease the growth of cancer cells. Treatment of B16-BL6 murine melanoma and MCF-7 breast cancer cells with flaxseed oil induced apoptosis as determined by changes in cell morphology, annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation and/or caspase activation. In addition, treatment with flaxseed oil also disrupted mitochondrial function in B16-BL6 and MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that flaxseed oil can specifically inhibit cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis in some cancer cells and suggests it has further potential in anti-cancer therapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:58:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b503617ea8645baa513482122af43b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:58:14Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b503617ea8645baa513482122af43b52022-12-22T01:28:32ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402019-08-0158e02251Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cellsAlison L. Buckner0Carly A. Buckner1Sabine Montaut2Robert M. Lafrenie3Program in Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, CanadaProgram in Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, Ontario, CanadaProgram in Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, CanadaProgram in Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; Corresponding author.Flaxseed oil is widely recognized for its exceptional nutritional value, high concentration of fiber-based lignans and large amounts of ω-fatty acids. It is one of a generic group of functional foods that is often taken by cancer patients as a potential treatment. We have examined the anti-cancer effects of flaxseed oil by studying its direct effects on cancer cell growth in vitro. Treatment of a variety of cancer cell lines with flaxseed oil decreased their growth in a dose-dependent manner while non-malignant cell lines showed small increases in cell growth. Cells treated with a mixture of fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid and lignans including enterodiol and enterolactone was also able to decrease the growth of cancer cells. Treatment of B16-BL6 murine melanoma and MCF-7 breast cancer cells with flaxseed oil induced apoptosis as determined by changes in cell morphology, annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation and/or caspase activation. In addition, treatment with flaxseed oil also disrupted mitochondrial function in B16-BL6 and MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that flaxseed oil can specifically inhibit cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis in some cancer cells and suggests it has further potential in anti-cancer therapy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844019359110Cancer researchCell biologyCell cultureCell deathFood scienceNatural product |
| spellingShingle | Alison L. Buckner Carly A. Buckner Sabine Montaut Robert M. Lafrenie Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells Heliyon Cancer research Cell biology Cell culture Cell death Food science Natural product |
| title | Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| title_full | Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| title_fullStr | Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| title_short | Treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| title_sort | treatment with flaxseed oil induces apoptosis in cultured malignant cells |
| topic | Cancer research Cell biology Cell culture Cell death Food science Natural product |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844019359110 |
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