The Synergistic Effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with the Compounds in Linum usitatissimum (flaxseed) on the Viability of the Colon Cancer Cell Line CACO-2

This study investigated the effects of oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and α-linolenic acid combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the percentage of dead CACO-2 cells to evaluate their potential in enhancing cancer cell death. It was hypothesized that α-linolenic acid would display the greatest efficacy because it is a polyunsaturated acid, and that higher concentrations of all fatty acids would increase cell death. CACO-2 cells were treated with 5-FU in combination with the various fatty acids at concentrations of 50 µM, 100 µM, and 200 µM. The percentage of dead cells was calculated, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data; inferential statistics could not be utilized due to the small sample size. Notably, α-linolenic acid required lower concentrations to achieve significant effects, highlighting its efficiency. While palmitic acid demonstrated a consistent increase in efficacy with concentration, other fatty acids peaked at the middle concentration levels. Oleic acid was the most effective overall, though α-linolenic acid’s efficiency at lower doses suggests it may be advantageous in clinical applications. These results indicate that fatty acids, particularly α-linolenic acid, may enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy, though further studies with larger sample sizes, in vivo models, and alternative cancer lines are necessary to confirm these findings and their therapeutic potential.