Antioxidant Effects of Phytochemicals in Texas Red Wine in Breast Cancer Cells

The anti-cancer effects of wine have been greatly studied, mainly on Vitis Vinifera grapes. There is a lack of information about the effects of Texas wines in particular, and it was the goal of this study to investigate two of these wines (one Syrah and one Port). Antioxidant capacity of the wines was determined using an ORAC assay. Effects on cell proliferation and reactive oxygen species were tested on invasive estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231). These cells were treated with extract concentrations from 12.5-200 µg GAE/mL diluted in DMSO (up to ~0.2% volume in medium). When treated with 50 µg GAE/mL Syrah wine extract, cell proliferation was decreased to 59% of the control, and at 200 µg GAE/mL cell proliferation was decreased to 41%. When treated with 50 µg GAE/mL Port wine extract, cell proliferation decreased to 54% at and to an impressive 18% at 200 µg GAE/mL. When treated with Syrah wine extract, the generation of reactive oxygen species decreased in a dose-dependant manner from 71.8% at 12.5 µg GAE/mL to 27.2% of the control at 200 µg GAE/mL and still 67% at 12.5 µg GAE/mL. The Port wine extract was less effective at low concentrations (decrease in ROS to 85.8% at 12.5 µg GAE/mL). At higher concentrations, results were similar to that of the Syrah wine extract. Results were conflicting as the Syrah had a greater effect on the inhibition of generating reactive oxygen species while the Port had a greater effect of cell growth inhibition. This study will lead to further, more detailed studies identifying isolated polyphenolics from wines causing the beneficial effect, the mechanisms behind their effects and possibly, how these compounds could be utilized to prevent or slow the progression of this invasive cancer