BetaSweet carrot extracts have antioxidant activity and in vitro antiproliferative effects against breast cancer cells

Fruits and vegetables have long been studied for their potential roles in reducing certain cancer risks. Herein, lyophilized BetaSweet carrots were extracted with hexane, methanol, and water and their chemical constituents were identified by UPLC-QTOF-HR-MS. Methanol extracts exhibited significantly higher radical scavenging activity compared with hexane and water extracts. Hexane extracts showed significantly higher (88.4%) inhibition of breast cancer cells proliferation after 24 h at 100 µg/mL, followed by water and methanol extracts, likely due to the presence of polyacetylenes. Cells treated with hexane extracts showed the highest cytochrome-c release, indicating induction of apoptosis, as supported by DNA fragmentation and Bax2 and bcl2 expression and confirmed by staining with propidium iodide and acridine orange. The methanol extract showed the highest antioxidant activity and was purified to obtain cyanidin-3-2″-xylosyl-6″-(ferulosyl-glucosyl)-galactoside. In conclusion, BetaSweet carrots exhibits multiple health benefits to use as functional foods.