Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Lipophilic Fractions of Edible and Non-Edible Parts of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) in a Model of Human Malignant Melanoma Cells

Authors

Sotiris Kyriakou, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & GeneticsFollow
Venetia Tragkola, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & GeneticsFollow
Heba Alghol, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & GeneticsFollow
Ioannis Anestopoulos, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & GeneticsFollow
Tom Amery, The Watercress CompanyFollow
Kyle Stewart, Watercress Research LimitedFollow
Paul G. Winyard, Watercress Research LimitedFollow
Dimitrios T. Trafalis, National & Kapodistrian University of AthensFollow
Rodrigo Franco, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Aglaia Pappa, Democritus University of ThraceFollow
Mihalis I. Panayiotidis, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & GeneticsFollow

ORCID IDs

Sotiris Kyriakou https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6195-6570

Venetia Tragkola https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6568-7489

Heba Alghol https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4841-0290

Ioannis Anestopoulos https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2052-8470

Dimitrios T. Trafalis https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4066-9780

Rodrigo Franco https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3241-8615

Aglaia Pappa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0913-4315

Mihalis I. Panayiotidis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1450-3552

Date of this Version

1-25-2022

Citation

Kyriakou, S.; Tragkola, V.; Alghol, H.; Anestopoulos, I.; Amery, T.; Stewart, K.;Winyard, P.G.; Trafalis, D.T.; Franco, R.; Pappa, A.; et al. Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Lipophilic Fractions of Edible and Non-Edible Parts of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) in a Model of Human Malignant Melanoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals 2022, 15, 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ph15020141

Comments

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Abstract

Watercress is an enriched source of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), among other phytochemicals, with an antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to (i) chemically characterize and (ii) biologically evaluate the profile of the main health-promoting compounds contained in edible (i.e., mixture of leaves and lateral buds) and non-edible (i.e., stems) parts of watercress in an in vitro model of malignant melanoma consisting of human malignant melanoma (A375), non-melanoma (A431) and keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The extraction of the main constituents of watercress was performed by subjecting the freeze-dried edible and non-edible samples through different extraction protocols, whereas their concentration was obtained utilizing analytical methodologies. In addition, cell viability was evaluated by the Alamar Blue assay, whereas levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis were determined by commercially available kits. The edible watercress sample contained a higher amount of various nutrients and phytochemicals in the hexane fraction compared to the non-edible one, as evidenced by the presence of PEITC, phenolics, flavonoids, pigments, ascorbic acid, etc. The cytotoxicity potential of the edible watercress sample in the hexane fraction was considerably higher than the non-edible one in A375 cells, whereas A431 and HaCaT cells appeared to be either more resistant or minimally affected, respectively. Finally, levels of oxidative stress and apoptotic induction were increased in both watercress samples, but the magnitude of the induction was much higher in the edible than the non-edible watercress samples. Herein, we provide further evidence documenting the potential development of watercress extracts (including watercress waste by-products) as promising anti-cancer agent(s) against malignant melanoma cells.