Methanolic Extracts of Bitter Melon Inhibit Colon Cancer Stem Cells by Affecting Energy Homeostasis and Autophagy
Figure 3
Bitter melon extract does not induce apoptosis in HT-29 and SW480 cells. (a) Bitter melon extract does not affect the caspase 3/7 activation, an apoptosis mediator. SW480 and HT-29 cells incubated with 150 μg/mL of bitter melon extract were analyzed for apoptosis by caspase 3/7 fluorometric assay. Bitter melon extract treatment did not induce any caspase activity when compared to untreated controls. Staurosporine 1 μM was used as a positive control. (b) Bitter melon extract does not affect the PARP cleavage in colon cancer cell lines. Western blot analysis for PARP cleavage of bitter melon treated cell lysates was performed using rabbit anti-PARP antibody. Bitter melon extract treatment resulted in no cleavage of PARP but significant PARP cleavage was observed in presence of a positive control, 1 μM staurosporine (St). These data suggest that bitter melon extracts do not induce cells to undergo apoptosis.
