Extraction and Antitumor Activity of Proanthocyanidins from Corn Silk
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Abstract:
The optimal conditions for the extraction of proanthocyanidins from the corn silk of the pigmented corn cultivar “Zinuo 8” (PCZ) were investigated and the antitumor activity of the extracted PCZ was measured. An orthogonal experiment with four factors and levels was designed to investigate the influences of pH, extractant concentration, extraction temperature, and extraction time on PCZ yield. A free radical scavenging experiment was performed to measure the antioxidant activity of PCZ. HeLa cells were treated with different concentrations of PCZ, and cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. Subsequently, Bax/Bcl-2 expression and Caspase-3 activity were measured to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of PCZ and elucidation of relevant mechanisms. The optimum conditions for the extraction of PCZ were as follows: pH 6; temperature 50°C; extractant concentration 70%; ethanol; time 3 h. Results indicated that PCZ had high scavenging activity towards DPPH, with a clearance rate of 86.09% achieved with 4 mg/mL of PCZ. The cell experiment showed that 100 μg/mL of PCZ significantly inhibited HeLa cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in 88.83% cell viability. In addition, it was found that PCZ enabled an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, initiation of apoptosis, and enhancement of the activity of the apoptosis executioner Caspase-3. Therefore, corn silk can be used in the development of health products with antioxidant and antitumor activities.
