Structural Diversity and in vitro Antiproliferative Activity of Purified Anthocyanins from Blackthorn and Chokeberry

Anthocyanins demonstrate promising anticancer potential, but most studies employ crude extracts containing multiple bioactive compounds that confound results interpretation. We purified anthocyanin-rich extracts from chokeberry (C-PAE) and blackthorn (B-PAE) fruits and investigated their antiproliferative effects on human ovarian cancer (A2780) and murine melanoma (B16-F10) cell lines. LC-MS analysis revealed distinct anthocyanin profiles: C-PAE contained primarily cyanidin glycosides (cyanidin-3-galactoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-arabinoside, and cyanidin-3-xyloside), while B-PAE exhibited greater structural diversity with both cyanidin and peonidin glycosides (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, and peonidin-3-rutinoside). B-PAE demonstrated higher total anthocyanin content (1388±45 versus 1098±32 mg/100g FW) and greater antioxidant activity (146±7 versus 120±5 μmol Trolox/100g FW) compared to C-PAE. Both extracts exhibited dose-dependent antiproliferative effects, with B-PAE showing superior efficacy (IC50: 80 μg/mL for A2780, 90 μg/mL for B16-F10) compared to C-PAE (IC50: 100 μg/mL for A2780, 120 μg/mL for B16-F10). The enhanced activity of B-PAE was further supported by significantly higher LDH release (p<0.01), indicating greater membrane damage and more pronounced morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. These findings suggest that anthocyanin structural diversity significantly influences antiproliferative activity, with B-PAE1s a more complex profile containing both cyanidin and peonidin glycosides contributing to its enhanced effectiveness against cancer cells.