Figure 5

Apoptotic effect of the extracted pigments on human cancer cells. (A) The apoptosis percentages in pigment- and 5-FU-treated cancer cells after staining with annexin and propidium iodide relative to the percentages in untreated cancer cells with (B) Dot plot flow charts of the untreated and treated cancer cells. (C) Fluorescence images of pigment-treated cancer cells compared with those of 5-FU-treated cancer cells and untreated cancer cells after staining with acridine orange and ethidium bromide and investigation using fluorescence microscopy (green, yellowish-orange, and red fluorescence indicates viable, early apoptotic and late apoptotic cells, respectively) (magnification ×200). (D) The superior potency of pigments relative to 5-FU as caspase 3/7 activators in the treated Caco-2 cells. (E) IC₅₀ values reflecting the inhibitory effect of pigments and 5-FU on matrix metalloprotease (MMP) 9. All data are expressed as the mean ± SE with significance (unpaired t-test analysis) at p-value < 0.05*, <0.005**, <0.0005***.