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Abstract
Delphinidin has been shown to induce apoptosis in cancer cells at high concentrations while protecting normal cells at lower concentrations. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of low concentrations (1-25 micromol /L) of delphinidin on cell viability and apoptosis in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-treated HT-29 human adenocarcinoma cells. Cells werepretreated with 1-25 micromol /L delphinidin before being treated with H2O2. Delphinidin at 1-10 micromol/L increased (p< 0.05) cell viability of H2O2 -treated cells. Pretreating cells with delphinidin had a biphasic effect on induced apoptosis assessed with caspase-3 activity. Lower concentrations (1-5 micromol/L) significantly (p< 0.05) decreased caspase-3 activity induced by H2O2 and a higher concentration (25 micromol/L) increased (p<0.05) activity of this enzyme compared to H2O2 alone. These results suggest that delphinidin has both antioxidant and prooxidant properties. Antioxidant properties of delphinidin at lower concentrations may inhibit induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells.