*Corresponding author: Rafat A Siddiqui, Nutrition Science and Food Chem- istry Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, Virginia State University, Virginia, USA, Tel: +1 8045245957; E-mail: rsiddiqui@vsu.edu Citation: Alsufyani AM, Li H, Younkin J, Beyer AR, Siddiqui RA (2018) An- ti-Cancer Effect of Plum Extract on U-87 Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Cancer Cells. J Food Sci Nut 4: 040. Received: October 10, 2018; Accepted: November 08, 2018; Published: November 22, 2018 Copyright: © 2018 Alsufyani AM, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits un- restricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Cancer is considered to be a major public health problem world- wide and is the second leading cause of death globally, causing an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 [1]. According to the National Cancer Institute (2016), the most common causes of cancer deaths are lung, bronchus, colorectal, and prostate cancers in men and lung, bronchus, breast, and colorectal cancers in women [2]. Brain and oth- er nervous system cancers are relatively rare compared to other can- cers [3], and are most frequently diagnosed among people aged 55-64 years though they can develop in any age group [4]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 120 different types of brain cancers [5]. However, some of the most common brain tu- mor types include oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, and meningioma [6]. Gliomas make up about 30% of all brain tumors and about 80% of all malignant brain tumors [7]. The brain tumors arise from glial cells which are normally found in brain tissues [8]. Glial cells support nerve cells with energy and nutrients and maintain the blood-brain barrier [9]. About 5% of brain tumors are caused by hereditary genetic conditions such as neurofbromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, Li-Fraume- ni syndrome, and Turcot’s syndrome [10]. The hereditary and somatic mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes play an important role in tumor initiation and pro- gression [11]. Tissues with decreased concentrations of antioxidant enzymes and enhanced concentrations of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) initiate mutagenic and carcinogenic conditions that have po- tential for genomic alteration [12]. The brain, because of its high met- abolic activity and relatively decreased capacity for cellular regener- ation, is particularly susceptible to the damaging effects of ROS [13]. Reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals, can react with nucleotide bases. Additionally, they can damage chromatin proteins and cause modifcations and genomic instability in chromosomes, therefore, re- sulting in gene expression alterations [14]. The carcinogenic potential induced by oxidative stress is related to a balance between ROS gen- eration and its neutralization by anti-oxidation processes. An excess ROS accumulation may induce DNA damage and then interfere with crucial cellular processes [14]. Recent research reports that certain plant chemicals, such as ter- penes, polyphenols, and thiols have much more powerful antioxidant Alsufyani AM, et al., J Food Sci Nutr 2018, 4: 040 DOI: 10.24966/FSN-1076/100040 HSOA Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Research Article Ashwaq M Alsufyani 1,2 , Haiwen Li 1 , Jason Younkin 2 , Andrea R Beyer 2 and Rafat A Siddiqui 1 * 1 Nutrition Science and Food Chemistry Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, Virginia State University, Virginia, USA 2 Department of Biology, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Virginia State University, Virginia, USA Anti-Cancer Effect of Plum Extract on U-87 Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Cancer Cells Abstract Brain cancer is a very devastating disease which is diffcult to treat and the survival rate of brain cancer patients is low. Present treat- ments have limited success; therefore, there is a constant search for new brain cancer treatments and strategies. Oxidative stress plays a role in the initiation and progression of brain cancer. Fruits and vege- tables are rich in phenolic compounds that have superior antioxidant properties. Among fruits, plum extract contains high levels of pheno- lic compounds and has been shown to exhibit anticancer properties. The objective of this study was to determine effects of plum extract on proliferation of brain cancer cells. A standardized preparation of plum extract, PE60, was used to determine its total polyphenols con- tent, total favonoids content, and anti-oxidation activity. Aqueous, methanolic, and DMSO solutions of PE60 were used to determine their effects on cell viability of U-87 cells by MTT assay. Apoptosis was assayed by analyzing nuclear morphology and caspase acti- vation. PE60 was found to be rich in polyphenols (575-600mg/g of dry weight). The antioxidant activity in PE60 solutions ranged from 3250-3500mM equivalent of Trolox/g dry weight. When cells were treated with aqueous PE60 solution, the cells’ viability was signif- cantly by 20% (p<0.05) at 25μg/ml, and about 80% (p<0.05) of cells died at 250μg/ml PE60 solution. When cells were treated with PE60 dissolved in methanol or DMSO, the cells’ viability was decreased signifcantly by 30-40% at 250μg/ml. Our data show that the effect of plum extract was mediated through an apoptotic pathway involving caspase-3 activation. In conclusion, this study showed that aqueous PE60 solution was better than that of methanolic or DMSO solutions for inhibiting U-87 brain cancer cell growth. Our data suggest that plums have nutritional compounds that can potentially be effective for preventing or inhibiting brain cancer. Keywords: Antioxidants; Brain cancer; Plum extract; Polyphenols