Polyphenol-Rich Date Palm Fruit Seed (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Extract Inhibits Labile Iron, Enzyme, and Cancer Cell Activities, and DNA and Protein Damage

Nutrients. 2022 Aug 27;14(17):3536. doi: 10.3390/nu14173536.

Abstract

Date palm fruit seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) extract (DSE), an under-utilized resource, is a rich source of polyphenols with high potency for disease prevention and antioxidative activities. For the first time, the present study demonstrated that DSE inhibits labile iron activity and DNA and BSA damage and inhibits acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase activities. Moreover, DSE reduces the proliferation of hepatic, colorectal, and breast cancer cells dose-dependently through apoptotic mechanisms. Furthermore, DSE significantly suppressed the expression of both BCl-2 and P21 genes and increased the P53 expression level when compared with the untreated cells and the 5-FU treated cells. These findings suggest a strong potential for DSE in protecting against the iron-catalyzed ferroptosis that results in programmed cell death. The results also confirm the efficacy of DSE against cancer cells. Therefore, DSE constitutes a valuable candidate for developing functional foods and for natural compound-based chemotherapy for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Keywords: DNA and BSA damage; anticancer; date seed extract; enzyme inhibition; labile iron inhibition.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Damage / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Fruit / chemistry
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Phoeniceae*
  • Plant Extracts / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Polyphenols / metabolism
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology
  • Seeds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols
  • DNA
  • Iron
  • Acetylcholinesterase

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.