Background:
Cancer is one of the most common leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite recent advances in therapeutic approaches, common methods are not fully effective. Thus, researchers are looking for some novel complementary agents to improve the effectiveness of therapies. Emerging evidence has shown the antitumor activity of several natural components such as quinoa seed extracts in various types of cancer.
Objectives:
Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the antiproliferation and anti-apoptotic activity of quinoa on the A549 lung cancer cell line.
Methods:
The cell viability of A549 cells treated with quinoa was detected using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression levels of BAX and BCL2 as apoptosis-related genes were assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Finally, the statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism version.
Conclusions:
According to this study, quinoa seed extract could induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells (A549) throughout the increased ratio of BAX/BCL2. However, further investigations are required to confirm the results.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal crop that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. Although this multipurpose agricultural crop has been traditionally cultivated in the Andes of South America for thousands of years, it has recently been the focus of attention worldwide. Quinoa is rich not only in macronutrients (including bioactive protein, high-quality fatty acids, polysaccharides, and dietary fiber), but also in multiple micronutrients as well as vitamins, essential amino acids, minerals, saponins, phytoecdysteroids, phytosterols, and polyphenolic compounds (5). Polyphenols such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins contribute to biological functions, including anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Hence, quinoa can play a critical role in preventing multiple oxidative stress-associated diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and neurodegenerative diseases (6).
1. Background
Cancer has been recognized as the first leading cause of cancer-related death globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics in 2018, this cancer had the highest incidence (11.6%) and mortality (18.4%) rate compared to other cancers (1). The 5-year survival rate in this cancer is poor; it even reaches 13.3% in some areas such as the United Kingdom (2).
Although chemotherapy is the most effective therapeutic strategy against cancer, several anticancer drugs cause serious side effects, including anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal mucositis, constipation, malabsorption, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia (3). Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that using various components of plant extracts with antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic characteristics can be suggested as complementary anticancer agents, which reduce the required dose of chemotherapy drugs and improve the efficiency of therapy (4).