eprintid: 28586 rev_number: 8 eprint_status: archive userid: 2 dir: disk0/00/02/85/86 datestamp: 2026-07-06 23:30:12 lastmod: 2026-07-06 23:30:13 status_changed: 2026-07-06 23:30:12 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Armas Diaz, Yasmany creators_name: Qi, Zexiu creators_name: Yang, Bei creators_name: Cianciosi, Danila creators_name: Mazzoni, Luca creators_name: Gasparrini, Massimiliano creators_name: Forbes-Hernandez, Tamara Y. creators_name: Quiles, José L. creators_name: Calderón Iglesias, Rubén creators_name: Battino, Maurizio creators_name: Giampieri, Francesca creators_id: creators_id: creators_id: creators_id: creators_id: creators_id: creators_id: tamara.forbes@unini.edu.mx creators_id: jose.quiles@uneatlantico.es creators_id: ruben.calderon@uneatlantico.es creators_id: maurizio.battino@uneatlantico.es creators_id: francesca.giampieri@uneatlantico.es title: Valorization of Purple Prickly Pear Peel By‐Products: Antiproliferative and Pro‐Apoptotic Effects on Human Colorectal Cancer Cells HCT116 ispublished: pub subjects: uneat_sn divisions: uneatlantico_produccion_cientifica divisions: unic_produccion_cientifica divisions: uniromana_produccion_cientifica full_text_status: public keywords: antiproliferative | cell cycle arrest | colorectal cancer | Opuntia fcus-indica peel | proapoptotic abstract: Opuntia ficus-indica peel is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities and currently is discarded or used for animal feeding. Within this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of purple prickly pear peel extract (PPE) on the human colon adenocarcinoma cancer cell line (HTC116). The methanolic extract of PPE was characterized in terms of betalain and polyphenols as well as total antioxidant capacity. Cell viability, apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays were performed. Important proteins and genes related to proliferation and apoptosis were determined. PPE represents a good source of bioactive compounds with a high antioxidant capacity. Cell viability was reduced gradually by PPE treatments, with lower effects in nontumorigenic cells. Compared to the control group, a significant induction of apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1 phase and ROS production was observed in PPE-treated cells. Furthermore, the treatment induced the overexpression of p53 at protein levels and upregulated the mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic BAX, CASP9, BID, and CYCS, along with the significant decrease of anti-apoptotic BCL2 gene expression. Simultaneously, cyclin D1 and CDK4 gene expression were significantly decreased, while p21 increased considerably. The treatment also induced the downregulation of Her2 and PI3K at protein levels and caused the suppression of PI3KCA and mTOR expression at gene levels. Overall, these findings suggested that PPE has potential anticancer effects against human colon adenocarcinoma progression. date: 2026-06 publication: Journal of Food Biochemistry volume: 2026 number: 1 id_number: doi:10.1155/jfbc/9961129 refereed: TRUE issn: 0145-8884 official_url: http://doi.org/10.1155/jfbc/9961129 access: open language: en citation: Artículo Materias > Alimentación Universidad Europea del Atlántico > Investigación > Artículos y libros Universidad Internacional do Cuanza > Investigación > Producción Científica Universidad de La Romana > Investigación > Producción Científica Abierto Inglés Opuntia ficus-indica peel is known to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities and currently is discarded or used for animal feeding. Within this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of purple prickly pear peel extract (PPE) on the human colon adenocarcinoma cancer cell line (HTC116). The methanolic extract of PPE was characterized in terms of betalain and polyphenols as well as total antioxidant capacity. Cell viability, apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays were performed. Important proteins and genes related to proliferation and apoptosis were determined. PPE represents a good source of bioactive compounds with a high antioxidant capacity. Cell viability was reduced gradually by PPE treatments, with lower effects in nontumorigenic cells. Compared to the control group, a significant induction of apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1 phase and ROS production was observed in PPE-treated cells. Furthermore, the treatment induced the overexpression of p53 at protein levels and upregulated the mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic BAX, CASP9, BID, and CYCS, along with the significant decrease of anti-apoptotic BCL2 gene expression. Simultaneously, cyclin D1 and CDK4 gene expression were significantly decreased, while p21 increased considerably. The treatment also induced the downregulation of Her2 and PI3K at protein levels and caused the suppression of PI3KCA and mTOR expression at gene levels. Overall, these findings suggested that PPE has potential anticancer effects against human colon adenocarcinoma progression. metadata Armas Diaz, Yasmany; Qi, Zexiu; Yang, Bei; Cianciosi, Danila; Mazzoni, Luca; Gasparrini, Massimiliano; Forbes-Hernandez, Tamara Y.; Quiles, José L.; Calderón Iglesias, Rubén; Battino, Maurizio y Giampieri, Francesca mail SIN ESPECIFICAR, SIN ESPECIFICAR, SIN ESPECIFICAR, SIN ESPECIFICAR, SIN ESPECIFICAR, SIN ESPECIFICAR, tamara.forbes@unini.edu.mx, jose.quiles@uneatlantico.es, ruben.calderon@uneatlantico.es, maurizio.battino@uneatlantico.es, francesca.giampieri@uneatlantico.es (2026) Valorization of Purple Prickly Pear Peel By‐Products: Antiproliferative and Pro‐Apoptotic Effects on Human Colorectal Cancer Cells HCT116. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2026 (1). ISSN 0145-8884 document_url: http://repositorio.uneatlantico.es/id/eprint/28586/1/Journal%20of%20Food%20Biochemistry%20-%202026%20-%20Armas%20Diaz%20-%20Valorization%20of%20Purple%20Prickly%20Pear%20Peel%20By%E2%80%90Products%20%20Antiproliferative.pdf