Anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative effect of anthocyanin enriched fractions from two Mexican wild blackberries (Rubus spp.) on HepG2 and glioma cell lines

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common and deadly cancer type in the central nervous system. Following the conventional treatments in these patients, the prognosis remains poor due to high tumor recurrence. Anthocyanins from natural sources, such as blackberries (Rubus spp.), have demonstrated anti-proliferative effects on glioma cell lines. However, anthocyanins present in wild blackberries have been poorly studied on these cancer cells. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the anthocyanins profile of two species of wild Mexican blackberries (R. liebmannii and R. palmeri), and their anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative capacities on two glioma (C6 and RG2) cell lines. RESULTS: We concentrated the anthocyanin content at least 26 times, revealing different proportions of these compounds in the wild blackberries. In vitro, these fractions showed anti-oxidant capacity (>10 times), while diminishing cell viability (>50%) by both Rubus fractions assayed on C6 and RG2 cells (compared to control). Also, we observed increased levels of lipid peroxidation (∼59%) by malondialdehyde formation. Results from the cell cycle and flow cytometry assays show that anthocyanins enriched fractions elicit apoptotic responses in these glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS: Anthocyanins present in Mexican wild blackberries constitute potential tools to develop alternative therapies to improve the survival rate in glioma patients.