Comparison of the effect of chemical composition of anthocyanin-rich plant extracts on colon cancer cell proliferation and their potential mechanism of action using in vitro, in silico, and biochemical assays

The objective was to compare the anti-proliferative effect of anthocyanin-rich plant extracts on human colon cancer cells and determine their mechanism of action. Eleven extracts were tested: red (RG) and purple grape, purple sweet potato, purple carrot, black and purple bean, black lentil (BL), black peanut, sorghum (SH), black rice, and blue wheat. HCT-116 and HT-29 inhibition correlated with total phenolics (r = 0.87 and 0.77, respectively), delphinidin-3-O-glucoside concentration with HT-29 inhibition (r = 0.69). The concentration inhibition fifty (IC₅₀) for BL, SH, RG on HT-29 and HCT-116 cell proliferation ranged 0.9–2.0 mg/mL. Extracts decreased expression of anti-apoptotic proteins (survivin, cIAP-2, XIAP), induced apoptosis, and arrested cells in G1. Anthocyanins exhibited tyrosine kinase inhibitory potential in silico and biochemically; cyanidin-3-O-glucoside had one of the highest binding affinities with all kinases, especially ABL1 (−8.5 kcal/mol). Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside inhibited EGFR (IC₅₀ = 0.10 and 2.37 µM, respectively). Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was the most potent anthocyanin on kinase inhibition.