Methanolic Extracts of Bitter Melon Inhibit Colon Cancer Stem Cells by Affecting Energy Homeostasis and Autophagy
Figure 6
Bitter melon extracts possess anticancer stem cell activity. Bitter melon extract affects cancer stem cells. (a) SW480 and HT-29 cells were grown in specific spheroid growth media in low adherent plates and treated with increasing dose of bitter melon extract. After one week, the colonospheres were photographed and counted. (b) Graphical representation of the number of colonospheres. Bitter melon extract significantly inhibited colonosphere formation (). (c) Western blot analyses of both cell lysates treated with bitter melon extract showed significant reduction in cancer stem cell markers proteins DCLK1 & LGR5. (d) Sorting of SW480 cells using anti-DCLK1 antibody by flow cytometry. 24 h after treatment, bitter melon extract caused significant reduction in the number of DCLK1 expressing cells in a concentration dependent manner.
