Anti-Cancer Effects of <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> L-14 Cell-Free Extract on Human Malignant Melanoma A375 Cells

• Main Authors: Jaehyun Park, Mijin Kwon, Jaehoon Lee, Sangkyu Park, Jeongmin Seo, Sangho Roh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: melanoma; <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>; cell migration; apoptosis; cancer therapy
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/17/3895

Human malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer with high metastatic ability. Despite several traditional therapies, the mortality rate remains high. <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> (<i>L. plantarum</i>), a species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is being studied for human health, including cancer treatment. However, few studies have elucidated the relationship between <i>L. plantarum</i> extract and human malignant melanoma. To investigate the effects of <i>L. plantarum</i> on human melanoma cells, A375 human melanoma cells were used and treated with <i>L. plantarum</i> L-14 extract. After the treatment, viability, migration ability, molecular changes of migration- and apoptosis-related genes, and the location of cytochrome c was evaluated. The L-14 extract inhibited the viability, migration of A375 cells as well as reduced expression of migration-related genes. In addition, it was confirmed that the L-14 extract induced intrinsic apoptosis in A375 cells. This study demonstrated that the L-14 extract exerted anticancer effects on A375 cells. Therefore, these data suggest that the L-14 extract is worth studying for the development of melanoma drugs using LAB.