Inhibitory Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) on Leukemic Cell Proliferation in Human Promyelocytic Leukemia HL-60 Cells
คำสำคัญ:
virgin coconut oil, human promyelocytic leukemia, HL-60 cells, anti-leukemic activity, cell cycle arrest, apoptosisบทคัดย่อ
Objective Leukemia is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal white blood cells, and although chemotherapy remains a standard treatment, toxicity, relapse, and drug resistance continue to pose major clinical challenges. These limitations draw attention to the need for safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives. Natural products have attracted considerable interest due to their diverse bioactive constituents and promising anti-cancer effects. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been reported to offer several health benefits, including antioxidant, anti- stress, anti-inflammatory, weight-reducing, and anti-cancer properties. This study was designed to investigate the capability of VCO to inhibit HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Methods VCO was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay; HL-60 cells were treated with various VCO concentrations for 48 hours. Additionally, cell cycle analysis was conducted by means of staining with propidium iodide, and an apoptosis assay was performed with Annexin V-FITC.
Results GC-MS analysis revealed that VCO contains lauric acid (LA), caprylic acid, capric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid. After treatment, VCO exhibited cytotoxic effects in HL-60 cells with IC50 values between 269 and 300 µg/mL, and its activity was compared to commercial lauric acid (C-LA). Additionally, VCO was found to inhibit cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis confirmed that VCO induced cell cycle arrest at the G1-phase. Furthermore, an apoptosis assay demonstrated that treatment with VCO induced apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells.
Conclusion These findings suggest that the anti-leukemic effect of VCO is associated with cell cycle arrest and reduced cell viability through apoptosis.
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