Abstract
Apples (Malus sp., Rosaceae) are a rich source of nutrient as well as non-nutrient components and
contain high levels of polyphenols and other phytochemicals. Main structural classes
of apple constituents include hydroxycinnamic acids, dihydrochalcones, flavonols (quercetin
glycosides), catechins and oligomeric procyanidins, as well as triterpenoids in apple
peel and anthocyanins in red apples. Several lines of evidence suggest that apples
and apple products possess a wide range of biological activities which may contribute
to health beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease, asthma and pulmonary
dysfunction, diabetes, obesity, and cancer (reviewed by Boyer and Liu, Nutr J 2004).
The present review will summarize the current knowledge on potential cancer preventive
effects of apples, apple juice and apple extracts (jointly designated as apple products).
In brief, apple extracts and components, especially oligomeric procyanidins, have
been shown to influence multiple mechanisms relevant for cancer prevention in in vitro studies. These include antimutagenic activity, modulation of carcinogen metabolism,
antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory mechanisms, modulation of signal transduction
pathways, antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity, as well as novel mechanisms
on epigenetic events and innate immunity. Apple products have been shown to prevent
skin, mammary and colon carcinogenesis in animal models. Epidemiological observations
indicate that regular consumption of one or more apples a day may reduce the risk
for lung and colon cancer.
Abbreviations
AC:aberrant crypts
ACF:aberrant crypt foci
AE02/-03/-04:apple juice polyphenol extract
AIS:‘alcohol-insoluble substance’
AP-1:activator protein 1
Apaf-1:apoptotic protease activatingfactor 1
APE:apple polyphenol extract
B(a)P:benzo[a]pyrene
bw:body weight
CI:confidence interval
COBRA:combined bisulfite restrictionanalysis
Cox-1:cyclooxygenase-1
Cyp1A:cytochrome P450 1A
DEP-1:density-enhanced protein-tyrosinephosphatase-1
DMBA:7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene
DMH:1,2-dimethylhydrazine
DNMT:DNA methyltransferase
DPPH:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
EGCG:(–)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate
EGF:epidermal growth factor
EGFR:epidermal growth factor receptor
FCS:fetal calf serum
Fr.P:procyanidin-enriched fraction P
GJIC:gap-junctional intracellular communication
GSK3β:glycogen synthase kinase 3β
GST:glutathione S-transferase
HDAC:histone deacetylase
IL-2Rα:interleukin-2 receptor α-chain
IQ:2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline
MAP-kinase:mitogen-activated protein kinase
NSP:non-starch polysaccharides
NHS:Nurses Health Study
ODC:ornithine decarboylase
OPC:oligomeric procyanidins
OR:odds ratio
ORAC:oxygen radical absorbance capacity
PARP:poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase
PBMC:peripheral blood mononuclearcells
PGs:prostaglandins
PTM:permeability transition pore
PKC:protein kinase C
ROS:reactive oxygen species
RR:relative risk
SCFA:short-chain fatty acids
TNF-α:tumor necrosis factor-α
TPA:12-O-tetradecanolyphorbol 13-acetate
TRAIL:TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand
TSG:tumor suppressor gene
Key words
apples -
Malus sp. - Rosaceae - cancer chemoprevention - oligomeric procyanidins - polyphenols