Project Results

Extracts prepared from both old and new yaupon holly leaves caused unregulated cell death in treated human leukemia cells. However, no decrease in metabolic activity was detected in treated non-malignant human fibroblasts.

About This Project

Last year our lab discovered that human leukemia cells treated with yaupon holly leaf extract caused cancer cell death. We tested both old and new yaupon holly leaf extract. This project is a follow-up to examine old and new yaupon holly leaf extract cell death mechanisms and normal cell toxicity. We hypothesize that normal cells are resistant to yaupon holly induced cell death and treated cancer cells undergo oxidative stress that leads to cancer cell death.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

As cancer continues to be a disease of high incidence, the need for new cancer therapies is urgent. Natural plants and plant-based substances have been reported to have anticancer properties and cause cell death in various types of cancer. In 2017, my Stetson University undergraduate research students investigated the ability of yaupon holly to cause human leukemia cell death. Yaupon holly is a shrub native to the southeastern portion of the U.S. Yaupon holly new and old leaf extracts were found to cause cell death in leukemia cells. The next steps of this project are to 1) study whether normal cells are sensitive to yaupon holly extract and 2) study how treated cancer cells die.

What is the significance of this project?

Anticancer properties of yaupon holly are largely unexplored. This research will characterize intracellular cell death mechanisms in leukemia cells treated with yaupon holly extract. We will also examine human normal cell metabolism and cell death after yaupon holly extract treatment to determine whether yaupon holly extract specifically targets cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Additionally, we will investigate molecular differences between new and old yaupon holly leaf extracts. We hypothesize that yaupon holly new leaf extract causes more oxidative stress in treated leukemia cells compared to old leaf extract, thus highlighting anticancer differences between new and old yaupon holly leaf extracts.

What are the goals of the project?

We hypothesize that yaupon holly new and old leaf extracts will causes oxidative stress in treated leukemia cells. Prolonged oxidative stress can initiate regulated cell death, emphasizing the need to study oxidative stress in cancer cells treated with yaupon holly extract.

0.5 million cells will be seeded in 6-well tissue culture plates. Yaupon holly extract (0.5-4uL) will be added to the cells for 24-72 hours. After treatment, cells will be collected and measured for oxidative stress using Promega ROS-Glo and Millipore Oxidative Stress kits. Cells will be acquired on a Biotek bioluminescent plate reader or Millipore Muse Cell Analyzer.

Secondary metabolite profiling in yaupon holly extracts will be analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography.