Potassium Benzoate Induced Cytotoxicity via Alteration of Gene Expression-Associated Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Genes in Tumor Cell Lines | ||||
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. C, Physiology and Molecular Biology | ||||
Volume 16, Issue 2, December 2024, Page 211-222 PDF (687.98 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/eajbsc.2024.386696 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Neima K. Al-senosy1; Sati Y. A. Al-Dalain2; Khaled A. El-Dougdoug3; Ghada H. El Nady![]() | ||||
1Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
2Department of Medical Support, Al-Karak University College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Jordan. | ||||
3Department of Agriculture Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
4Medical Genetic Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Certain food preservatives, including potassium benzoate, have been shown to possess carcinogenic properties. This study investigated the cytotoxic effects of potassium benzoate, a common food additive, on HepG2 liver cancer cells and THLE2 non-tumorigenic liver cells. Using the Neutral Red assay, we observed a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability for both cell lines, with HepG2 cells showing higher sensitivity. The IC50 values were determined to be 72.50 µg/mL for HepG2 cells and 645.7 µg/mL for THLE2 cells, indicating potassium benzoate's potential cytotoxicity on both malignant and non-malignant cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that potassium benzoate treatment induced G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 cells, with a significant increase in the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase from 12% to 43%. Gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR demonstrated upregulation of p53, Bax, and p21, while Bcl-2, cyclin B1, and CDK1 were downregulated. These findings suggest that potassium benzoate has a high potential for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity when used as a food preservative. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the potential health impacts of food additives and underscores the need for further research into their long-term effects on human health. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Cytotoxicity; potassium benzoate; HepG2 cells; apoptotic genes; cell cycle genes | ||||
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