Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) fruit extract abrogates melanoma progression through boosting up IFN-γ-producing cells

Chokeberry has exhibited cardioprotective, anti-bacterial, immunomodulating and anti-cancer properties. Chokeberry extract (CE) was tested in the model of melanoma induced by B16 cells inoculation in C57BL/6 mice. CE treatment that began 7 days before inoculation and continued through the observation period, delayed melanoma appearance and increased infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Levels of TNF, perforin, granzyme B and IL-1 beta did not differ between the CE-treated and control animals, but the TME of CE-treated mice contained more IFN-gamma-producing cells and a lesser frequency of CCR5-expressing MDSC. In vitro, CE displayed no direct cytotoxicity to B16 cells. However, splenocytes isolated from CE-treated animals exerted strong cytotoxic effect on B16 cells in vitro. Neutralization of IFN-gamma diminished the observed B16 death, sug-gesting that this effect was mediated mainly by splenocyte-derived IFN-gamma. In conclusion, pre-treatment with CE stimulated the anti-tumor immune response by enhancing IFN-gamma-pro-ducing cells to act against melanoma.

Automated summary

Chokeberry extract (CE) delayed melanoma appearance and increased immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. CE did not directly affect the melanoma cells, but splenocytes isolated from CE-treated animals showed strong cytotoxic effect on melanoma cells.