[Antiproliferative, apoptotic, and antimigratory activities of kafirins on cervical cancer-derived cell lines]

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Therefore, effective treatment of cervical cancer with potential anti-tumor drugs is important. However, new treatments inspired by nutritional medicine are needed.

To use the human cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and SiHa to evaluate the antiproliferative, apoptotic, and migratory activity of sorghum (kafirins).

The anticancer effects of the kafirins were examined by counting cells, MTT assays, apoptosis, and migration assays.

This investigation showed that sorghum induced growth inhibition of HeLa and SiHa cells at a significant level. The growth inhibition is dose-dependent and irreversible. When HeLa and SiHa cells were treated with sorghum due to the activity of kafirins, morphological changes were observed, which were identified through the formation of apoptopic bodies. And the kafirins at concentrations of 37.5, 75, 150, and 300 μg/mL decreased the migration of HeLa cells and SiHa cells.

This paper demonstrates the induction of antiproliferative, apoptotic, and anti-migratory activity in HeLa and SiHa cells by kafirins. Sorghum may be used as a nutraceutical with potential cancer-prevention benefits.