Protective, Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of Grapefruit IntegroPectin on SH-SY5Y Cells

Nuzzo, Domenico; Scordino, Miriana; Scurria, Antonino; Giardina, Costanza; Giordano, Francesco; Meneguzzo, Francesco; Mudò, Giuseppa; Pagliaro, Mario; Picone, Pasquale; Attanzio, Alessandro; Raimondo, Stefania; Ciriminna, Rosaria; Di Liberto, Valentina

Tested in vitro on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, grapefruit IntegroPectin is a powerful protective, antioxidant and antiproliferative agent. The strong antioxidant properties of this new citrus pectin, and its ability to preserve mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology, severely impaired in neurodegenerative disorders, make it an attractive therapeutic and preventive agent for the treatment of oxidative stress-associated brain disorders. Similarly, the ability of this pectic polymer rich in RG-I regions, as well as in naringin, linalool, linalool oxide and limonene adsorbed at the outer surface, to inhibit cell proliferation or even kill, at high doses, neoplastic cells may have opened up new therapeutic strategies in cancer research. In order to take full advantage of its vast therapeutic and preventive potential, detailed studies of the molecular mechanism involved in the antiproliferative and neuroprotective of this IntegroPectin are urgently needed.