Influence of Potent Antioxidant Leguminosae Family Plant Extracts on Growth and Antioxidant Defense System of Hep2 Cancer Cell Line

Abstract Legumes are considered to be a very good source of polyphenolic compounds that may act as chemopreventive agents, especially by their antioxidant properties. However, many of the chemopreventive properties may depend on the concentrations of the phytochemical compounds because potent antioxidant polyphenolic compounds may have pro-oxidant properties and negatively affect cell growth and viability. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the possible effect of two potent antioxidant Greek Leguminosae family plant extracts on the growth of a specific cancer cell line and its antioxidant defense cell system. Aqueous extracts of aerial parts of Lathyrus laxiflorus and Phaseolus vulgaris plants were initially examined for their cytotoxicity on the Hep2 cancer cell line at concentrations that possess potent antioxidant properties (100, 400, and 800 μg/mL). After a 24-hour incubation with the extracts, only L. laxiflorus plant extract exhibited the ability to inhibit the cell growth at 400 and ...