Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
1
Department of Molecular Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
2
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3
Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
4
Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
5
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
6
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Molecular Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. The PAD score (Phenolic compounds, protein content, Antioxidant capacity, Diastase activity) is a new biochemical index for evaluating honey quality and potential medicinal properties. This study assessed the anticancer effects of honeys with distinct PAD scores on HT-29 CRC cells.
Materials and Methods: A high-PAD score honey (HPH, barberry-derived; PAD 543) and a commercial low-PAD score honey (LPH, PAD<74) were characterized biochemically. Their effects on HT-29 cells were evaluated by MTT viability, scratch migration, RT-qPCR for apoptotic markers, and flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis.
Results: HPH showed markedly higher biochemical values than LPH. MTT assays demonstrated dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, with a 24 hr IC₅₀ of 2.4 ± 0.2% v/v versus 10.8 ± 1.2% for LPH. Migration assays revealed that 0.65% HPH significantly suppressed cell migration, whereas LPH slightly promoted it. RT-qPCR showed HPH upregulated Bax (1.49-fold) and Caspase-3 (1.41-fold) while downregulating Bcl-2 (4-fold). Flow cytometry confirmed that HPH induced G0/G1 arrest, with 44.16% of cells in this phase compared to 35.73% in controls.
Conclusion: Honey’s anticancer potential is strongly dependent on its biochemical profile. Barberry-derived HPH exhibited superior antiproliferative, anti-migratory, and pro-apoptotic effects relative to LPH. High-PAD honey may represent a promising adjuvant therapy for CRC, highlighting the need for standardized biochemical profiling in selecting natural therapeutic agents.
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