Hydroalcoholic leaves extract of Vaccinium ashei Reade promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

Vaccinium ashei Reade, popularly known as Rabbiteye blueberry, has several therapeutic properties attributed to the phenolic compounds present in its leaves and fruits. Here, we sought to evaluate the effects of the hydroalcoholic extract from V. ashei leaves (Bluegem cultivar, VAB) in T-cell Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The VAB extract was toxic to T-ALL cells at the ∼60 µg/ml concentration. T-ALL cell death occurred through apoptosis. VAB extract was found to induce micronuclei formation, p53 pathway activation, and cell cycle arrest. Those mutagenic effects were evidenced through microscopy analysis and molecular p53 pathway activation. A series of phenolic compounds were identified in VAB extract by mass spectrometry, such as vanillic acid, catechin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, coumaric acid, taxifolin, quercetin and naringenin, some of which are presumed to induce DNA damage. In conclusion, the V. ashei leaves extract may have important secondary metabolites with antileukemic properties.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Blueberry
• mutagenesis
• phenolic compounds
• p53 pathway

Acknowledgments

This work was launched during the Pediatric Onco-hematology Education Program (PEOp 2020) for undergraduate students held at Centro Infantil Boldrini under the supervision of Dr Silvia Regina Brandalise, whose support and dedication we greatly appreciate.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the FAPESP [grant number 2019/04943-3] to LLA; CNPq [grant number 301596/2017-4] to JAY; FuRI (grant number 5552) to DM and VSC.