A Phenolic Extract Obtained from Methyl Jasmonate-Treated Strawberries Enhances Apoptosis in a Human Cervical Cancer Cell Line

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we evaluated the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on strawberry phenolic composition. Strawberry extracts contain a mixture of phenolic compounds possessing several biological properties. We demonstrated that these extracts were more effective in inducing apoptosis in HeLa cells compared to phenolic preparations derived from untreated strawberries. Treatment of strawberries with 0.5% MeJA resulted in increased polyphenols content (from 7.4 to 8.6 mM quercetin equivalents) and antioxidant properties (from 3.9 to 4.6 mM quercetin equivalents). The identification and quantification of phenolic compounds by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry in the strawberry extracts showed that cyanidin glucoside, pelargonidin glucoside, and ellagic glucoside acid were significantly higher in strawberries treated with MeJA. Phenolic extracts from MeJA-treated strawberries significantly decreased the cell viability in HeLa cells, compared to extracts derived from untreated fruits. We hypothesized that the enhanced apoptotic activity of MeJA-treated strawberries was due to a synergistic or additive effect of different phenolic compounds present in the extract, rather than the activity of a single molecule.

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Project AGL-2010-20585) and partially by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance to the National Research Council for the project “Innovazione e Sviluppo del Mezzogiorno - Conoscenze Integrate per Sostenibilità ed Innovazione del Made in Italy Agroalimentare - Legge n. 191/2009” and by BENTEN project (Wellness from biotechnologies: New Processes and Products for Nutraceutical, Cosmeceutical and Human Nutrition), within the Biotechnology Network of Campania Region (Italy). We thank Semilleros Escolar for supplying the plants. We also thank Jessica Bermúdez for her help in performing part of the experimental work. Gema Flores acknowledges CSIC for her Jae-doc contract.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carmela Spagnuolo

Author contribution

Carmela Spagnuolo and Gema Flores contributed equally to this work.