Effect of pistachio kernel extracts in MCF-7 breast cancer cells: Inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of ROS production, modulation of glycolysis and of mitochondrial respiration

• Main Authors: Patricia Reboredo-Rodríguez, Carmen González-Barreiro, Beatriz Cancho-Grande, Jesús Simal-Gándara, Francesca Giampieri, Tamara Y. Forbes-Hernández, Massimiliano Gasparrini, Sadia Afrin, Danila Cianciosi, Piera P. Manna, Alfonso Varela-López, Rosa M. Ojeda-Amador, Giuseppe Fregapane, María Desamparados Salvador, Maurizio Battino
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018-06-01
• Series: Journal of Functional Foods
• Subjects: Pistachio kernel; Phenolic compounds; Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); Apoptosis; Energetic metabolism; Breast cancer
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464618301397

The effects of ground pistachio kernel extracts have been evaluated on cellular viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Results showed a significant decrease in cell viability in a dose and time dependent manner. 48 h-treatments with different concentrations of the extracts induced intracellular ROS generation and showed that cell death was in an apoptosis-independent manner. It was also found that 48 h-treatments led to a dose dependent reduction in both extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) with respect to untreated cells. Therefore, a considerable alteration of cell bioenergetics would occur as consequence of such treatments. Combination of oxidative stress and bioenergetic alterations could be responsible, at least in part, of the cell death observed in the present model. In conclusion, pistachio kernel extract showed promising beneficial effects that could be exploited as a “natural adjuvant” in combination with chemotherapy treatment.