Affiliations: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan | Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School,
Matsushima 577, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Akio Mimura, Department of
Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Takeda 4-3-11,
Kofu 400-8511, Japan. Tel.: +81 55 220 8646; Fax: +81 55 220 8539; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Naturally fermented vinegar such as Kibizu (sugar cane vinegar in
Amami Ohshima, Japan), Kurozu (black rice vinegar in Kagoshima, Japan), Kouzu
(black rice vinegar in China) and red wine vinegar in Italy had potent
radical-scavenging activity analyzed by DPPH method. For the elucidation of
food factor for cancer prevention contained in naturally fermented vinegar, the
induction of apoptosis in human leukemia cell HL-60 was investigated with sugar
cane vinegar Kibizu. Fraction eluted by 40% methanol from Amberlite XAD 2 chromatography
of sugar cane vinegar showed potent radical scavenging activity. The fraction
also showed the activity repressing growth of typical human leukemia cells such
as HL-60, THP-1, Molt-4, U-937, Jurkat, Raji and K-562. On the other hand, the
fraction did not have any growth inhibition activity against human fetal lung
cell TIG-1. The most potent radical-scavenging activity and the growth
repression activity of the leukemia cell were observed in the same
chromatographic fraction of methanol 40%. From cell sorting FACS analyses, electron microscopic observations
and cytochemical staining of chromatin and nuclear segments in human leukemia
cell HL-60 treated with the active fraction, it was concluded that apoptosis
was induced in the leukemia cell by the fraction of sugar cane vinegar and
resulted in the repression of growth of the human leukemia cells. Chromatographic fraction of sugar cane juice eluted by 20% methanol
showed potent activities of radical-scavenging and growth repression of HL-60.
These results led us the consideration that active components in sugar cane
juice could be converted to more lipophilic compounds with activity to induce
apoptosis in HL-60 by microbial fermentation with yeast and acetic acid
bacteria.
