Date of Graduation

5-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Lee, Sun-Ok

Committee Member/Reader

Alverson, Andrew

Committee Member/Second Reader

Tipsmark, Christian

Committee Member/Third Reader

Funkhouser, Eric M.

Abstract

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the state of Arkansas and across the United States. Recent research found that peanuts consumption has been correlated with a decreased risk of cancer. Although limited research has been conducted, phenolic antioxidant compounds found in peanuts, arachidin-1 and arachidin-3, are correlated to a decrease in human leukemia and lung cancer cell growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-colon cancer effects of these compounds. Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of purified arachidin-1 and arachidin-3 on Caco-2 cell proliferation. Treatment of cells with arachidin-1 (0, 1, 5, 10µM) and arachidin-3 (0, 5, 10, 20µM) were measured at time points 0, 24, and 48 hours. There was cell reduction for 10 and 20µM treatments of arachidin-3 at time point 24 hours, but no other significant reduction was found. The findings suggest that arachidin-1 and arachidin-3 did not inhibit the growth of human colon cancer cells. Further research needs to be conducted to examine the effects of peanuts stilbenoids, arachidin-1 and archidin-3, as potential anticarcinogenic agents.

Keywords

Cancer; Peanut; Leukemia; Lung cancer

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