Exopolysaccharide from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YT013 and Its Apoptotic Activity on Gastric Cancer AGS Cells

Abstract

Cancer is a significant health burden in the world. Natural product drugs have received widespread attention because of their safety and effectiveness, stable effects and fewer side effects. Some studies have demonstrated that exopolysaccharide (EPS) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can inhibit the growth of many types of cancer cells. In this work, the effects of the EPS from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YT013 on gastric cancer cells were investigated. Its cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay; at the concentration of 1000 μg/mL, the most significant inhibitory effect occurred in AGS cells, followed by SGC-7901, PANC-1 and HCT116, and less inhibited in HepG2 cells. Cell cycle results showed that EPS prevented AGS cells from transitioning from the S phase to the G2/M phase. In addition, the results of flow cytometry showed that EPS promoted apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting also indicated that EPS might lead to apoptosis via the endogenous mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. The safety of lyophilized powder, cell-free culture supernatant and EPS from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YT013 were evaluated by observing tissue organs through H&E staining, and the results showed that the components were safe and effective and could provide a basis for the development of natural anticancer active drugs.