Polyphenols from evening primrose ( Oenothera paradoxa ) defatted seeds induce apoptosis in human colon cancer Caco-2 cells.

Polyphenols extracted from evening primrose seeds (industrial waste product) were studied as apoptosis inducers in human colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2 and HT-29 cell lines and in rat normal intestinal IEC-6 cells. The extract dose-dependently inhibited the growth of Caco-2, HT-29, and IEC-6 cells. However, nuclear DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis was observed only in Caco-2. After 72 h of incubation with the extract at 150 μM gallic acid equivalents (44.1 μg extract/mL), Caco-2 cell numbers decreased to 19% of control and 48.8% of the cells were identified by flow cytometry as apoptotic. Under the same conditions only 8% of HT-29 cells and 12.6% of IEC-6 cells exhibited hypodiploid DNA content. The effects of the extract and its fractions on phosphatidylserine exposure and cell membrane integrity were assessed by high content screening image cytometry. The fractions strongly and dose-dependently reduced Caco-2 cell numbers, whereas HT-29 and IEC-6 cells were affected to lesser extents.