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Background Active biomolecules extracted from plant biodiversity appear to offer an alternative to the frequently toxic chemotherapy methods used to treat cancer. The micronutrients obtained from certain fruits, including pink guava Psidium guajava L., appear to have this property. We therefore focused on three biomolecules of interest: lycopene and apigenin, the main components in pink guava, and resveratrol, a reference biomolecule with recognized beneficial effects. Our aim was to assess and compare the activities of these micronutrients, first separately and then in combination, on LNCaP cells (prostate cancer) and UACC cells (melanoma). Methods MTT assays and confocal microscopy using anti-PCNA and anti-5-α-reductase antibodies enabled us to establish a ranking for these micronutrients for the first time, when they were studied separately to begin with, in terms of their anti-proliferative action. Results Apigenin was found to be the most active biomolecule in this respect, followed by lycopene and then resveratrol. In a subsequent study of the combined actions of these molecules, specifically “lycopene-apigenin” and “lycopene-resveratrol”, we found that the “lycopene-apigenin” combination has a stronger anti-cancer activity than the biomolecules used separately, and it is also superior to the “lycopene-resveratrol” combination. Conclusions Our study demonstrated the synergistic modes of action of lycopene and apigenin in the guava fruit and the importance of the combination of these two micronutrients in pink guava in order to obtain a high anti-cancer activity. |
