Antiproliferative Activity of Anthocyanins Pure Extracts from Mulberries and Raspberries on HeLa and A2780 Human Cancer Cell Lines

Red berries are important sources of bioactive compounds and they are known to provide unique health benefits. Lately, it has been proved that anthocyanins have health benefits against degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to characterize the anthocyanin content of anthocyanins pure extracts (APEs) obtained from raspberries (Rubus sp.) and mulberries (Morus sp.) and to evaluate their antiproliferative effect in vitro. Upon chromatographic analysis, three anthocyanins were identified in purified extracts of mulberries (M-APEs), with cyanidin-3-O-glucoside being more abundant. On the other hand, purified extracts of raspberries (R-APEs) contained 2 anthocyanins, both identified as cyanidin-derivatives. The in vitro test demonstrated that APEs decreased the proliferation on both HeLa and A2780 human cancer cell lines in a dose dependent manner, demonstrating that these two different berries are both rich sources of anthocyanins and are able to exert antiproliferative proprieties toward cervical and ovarian cancer.