Fermentation supernatants of Lactobacillus delbrueckii inhibit growth of human colon cancer cells and induce apoptosis through a caspase 3-dependent pathway

Abstract

Probiotic bacteria are known to exert a wide range of beneficial effects on their animal hosts. Therefore, the present study explored the effect of the supernatants obtained from <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i> fermentation (LBF) on colon cancer. The results indicated that the proliferation of LBF solution-treated colon cancer SW620 cells was arrested and accumulated in the G1 phase in a concentration-dependent manner. The LBF solution efficiently induced apoptosis through the intrinsic caspase 3-depedent pathway, with a corresponding decreased expression of Bcl-2. The activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9, which is associated with the invasion of colon cancer cells, was also decreased in the LBF-treated cells. In conclusion, the results demonstrate the antitumor effect of LBF <i>in vitro</i> and may contribute to the development of novel therapies for the treatment of colon cancer.