Probiotic bacteria grown with chestnut honey enhance in vitro cytotoxicity on breast and colon cancer cells

Abstract

Chestnut honey has been used as ethnomedicine. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that can provide a health benefit, impeding the development of several health conditions and diseases, including cancer. This study aims to investigate the effects of chestnut honey on probiotic bacteria and the in vitro cytotoxic effects of the combination of probiotics and chestnut honey on cancer cells. First, the effects of chestnut honey on the growth of bacteria were examined, followed by its effects on the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Once the bacteria had grown on chestnut honey, the in vitro cytotoxic effects on breast and colon cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and Caco-2, respectively, and a non-cancerous breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10A, were investigated. Chestnut honey positively affected the probiotic bacteria by increasing the growth and modulating probiotic properties such as autoaggregation and surface hydrophobicity. Furthermore, probiotics grown on chestnut honey had more cytotoxic effects on the cancer cell lines than probiotics or honey alone. The present study showed that new combinations of honey and probiotics have the potential to formulate new nutraceuticals.