Antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of honey in human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3): Possible mechanism of cell growth inhibition and apoptosis induction

Honey has long been used in medicine for different purposes. Only recently, however, its antioxidant property and preventive effects against different diseases, such as cancer, have been highlighted. In this study, we investigated the potential of honey to induce cytotoxic and apoptosis effects in cultured carcinomic human prostate cells (PC-3), a commonly used cell culture system for in vitro studies on prostate cancer. The cells were cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium and treated with different concentrations of honey for three consecutive days. Cell viability was quantitated by MTT assay. Apoptotic cells were determined using Annexin-V-FITC by flow cytometry. Honey could decrease cell viability in malignant cells in a concentration and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values against PC-3 were determined at 14.3, 9.2 and 4.3% after 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Honey induced apoptosis of PC-3 cells, as determined by flow cytometry histogram of treated cells which inducing apoptotic cell death is involved in honey toxicity. It might be concluded that honey could cause cell death in PC-3 cells, in which apoptosis plays an important role. Honey could also be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic agent in prostate cancer treatment in future. Key words: Anexin-V, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, honey, 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), carcinomic human prostate cells (PC-3), chrysin.