Comparison Of Chinese And American Cactus Pear (Opuntia Cacti) In Induction Of Ros And Growth Inhibition In Bladder Cancer Cells

The use of pharmacological drugs or extracted compounds to prevent cancer development in normal and/or high-risk populations is often associated with serious side effects. The protective effects of natural products such as fruits and vegetables against cancer has attracted great attention because of the fewer side effects therefore, potentially greater safety. However, the mechanism of action of natural products for cancer prevention is still unclear and its thorough understanding is needed in order to use them for long time without unexpected biological side effects. The possible mechanism of natural products in carcinogenesis is thought to be mainly through detoxification, enhanced excretion, suppression of inflammation, and induction of apoptosis. We have previously reported that cactus pear mixture extract (CME) from Arizona, USA, reduces ovarian, cervical, and bladder cancer cell growth by induction of apoptosis. Recently, we found that CME increased oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in ovarian cancer cells, and affect the oxidative-sensitive gene expression (NF-kappa B, AP1), as well as other cancer-related genes. Here, we compared CME obtained from USA and obtained from China for growth inhibition, ROS production, and DNA rmethylation of p16 and RASSF-1A genes in bladder cancer cells. The expression of several genes was also perturbed such as p21, p53, NF-kappa B, cFos/cJun, iNOS. This study provides rationale on the universal use of natural products such as the cactus pear mixture extract for cancer prevention.