Growth-inhibitory effects of the astaxanthin-rich alga Haematococcus pluvialis in human colon cancer cells

Palozza, Paola; Torelli, Cristiana; Boninsegna, Alma; Simone, Rossella; Catalano, Assunta; Mele, Maria Cristina; Picci, Nevio

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2009.03.031

« PreviousCancer Letters
Volume 283, Issue 1 , Pages 108-117, 28 September 2009

Growth-inhibitory effects of the astaxanthin-rich alga Haematococcus pluvialis in human colon cancer cells

Paola Palozza
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, L. Go F. Vito, 1 00168 Rome, Italy
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 06 3016619; fax: +39 06 3386446.
Cristiana Torelli
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, L. Go F. Vito, 1 00168 Rome, Italy
Alma Boninsegna
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, L. Go F. Vito, 1 00168 Rome, Italy
Rossella Simone
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, L. Go F. Vito, 1 00168 Rome, Italy
Assunta Catalano
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, L. Go F. Vito, 1 00168 Rome, Italy
Maria Cristina Mele
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University School of Medicine, 00168 Rome, Italy
Nevio Picci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Calabria, 87030 Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy

Received 19 December 2008; received in revised form 17 March 2009; accepted 18 March 2009. published online 08 May 2009.

Abstract

The growth-inhibitory effects of the astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis were studied in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. H. pluvialis extract (5–25μg/ml) inhibited cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner, by arresting cell cycle progression and by promoting apoptosis. At 25μg/ml of H. pluvialis extract, an increase of p53, p21^WAF-1/CIP-1 and p27 expression (220%, 160%, 250%, respectively) was observed, concomitantly with a decrease of cyclin D1 expression (58%) and AKT phosphorylation (21%). Moreover, the extract, at the same concentration, strongly up-regulated apoptosis by modifying the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and increased the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and ERK1/2 by 160%, 242%, 280%, respectively. Growth-inhibitory effects by H. pluvialis were also observed in HT-29, LS-174, WiDr, SW-480 cells. This study suggests that H. pluvialis may protect from colon cancer.