Effect of Cheddar cheese peptide extracts on growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in human lung cancer (H-1299) cell line

The objective of the study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of water-soluble peptide (WSP) extracts of buffalo and cow milk Cheddar cheeses during their ripening. The WSP extracts were assessed for their effects on cell viability, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction using a lung cancer (H-1299) cell line. Cheese extracts taken after 120 and 150 ripening days showed marked growth inhibition of the cancer cells, in a dose-dependent manner. During cell cycle analysis, a significant increase in cells population at G(2)/M phase was observed in the lung cancer cell line at a rate of 400 mu g/mL and 500 mu g/mL. In addition, the extracts also induced extensive apoptosis in the lung cancer cell line.