The ethanol extract from adzuki beans significantly reduces lung metastasis and invasion of melanoma cells, showing potential for functional food development.
The methodology of the study involved extracting the 40% ethanol eluent from the fraction of hot-water extract from adzuki beans adsorbed onto a type of resin. This extract, dubbed EtEx.40, was then tested on B16-BL6 melanoma cells, examining specifically its effects on adhesion, migration, and invasion into extracellular matrix components and their invasion into reconstituted basement membrane (colloquially referred to as matrigel), while ensuring it did not affect cell proliferation in vitro.
The results illustrated a significant difference in the presence of tumor colonies when treated with EtEx.40. The extract showed a considerable inhibitory effect on the experimental lung metastasis, as well as the invasion of the melanoma cells. Furthermore, the adhesion and migration of the melanoma cells into the extracellular matrix components were also reduced. The results demonstrated a strong antimetastatic role of the ethanol extract of adzuki beans.