Exploring the chemotherapeutic potential of Brassicaceae extracts in colorectal cancer cell spheroids

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of mortality worldwide. Given the growth and increasing life expectancy of the world’s population, as well as the acquisition of unhealthy lifestyle habits, the global burden of colorectal cancer is estimated to increase in the next years. Despite the efforts made so far, its treatment is still very challenging due to cancer recurrence usually associated with prevalence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) after treatment. Hence, it is imperative to seek new therapeutic strategies that target colorectal CSCs. Epidemiological data have reported a positive correlation between cruciferous vegetables intake and decreased risk of colorectal cancer. Their chemo-preventive effect is mainly due to their high content in glucosinolates, the precursors of isothiocyanates (ITCs) that are known to modulate and target several aspects of carcinogenesis. Hence, by recurring to a green and sustainable high pressure extraction process to recover ITCs from cruciferous vegetables, namely watercress and broccoli, we intended to explore the anticancer mechanisms of Brassicaceae vegetables and respective ITCs in a tri-dimensional (3D) cell model of colorectal cancer (i.e. in cell spheroids), since this approach resembles best with the tumor microenvironment in comparison with the conventional two-dimensional (2D) cells models. Our results revealed that Brassicaceae extracts and ITCs have the potential to prevent cell proliferation and chemo-resistance, to induce apoptosis, and to target colorectal CSC population and its self-renewal ability. Therefore, our research provides new insights on colorectal cancer therapy using nutraceuticals derived from cruciferous vegetables