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Selective growth inhibition of human colon adenocarcinoma and malignant melanoma cell lines by sesame oil in vitro
John William Salerno
Order No. 9133557
Ayurveda, an ancient, comprehensive and prevention- oriented system of natural health care, has highly recommended the topical use of sesame oil above other oils. Applied to the skin on a daily basis and to the colon on a seasonal basis, it is claimed to improve physiological balance, vitality and longevity. Sesame oil contains relatively high levels of the essential polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid, in the form of triglycerides. The antineoplastic properties of the essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid have been documented. Linoleic acid and its metabolites have been shown to selectively inhibit and kill a variety of human and animal tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo while affecting normal cells either significantly less or not at all.
Therefore, it was hypothesized that linoleic acid and sesame oil would inhibit the growth of human colon adenocarcinoma and human malignant melanoma cell lines to a greater extent in vitro than their normal counterparts, human colon epithelial cells or human melanocytes. Cells in culture were supplemented with linoleic acid at a dose range of 3-100 $¯mu$g/ml. For lipase-digested and undigested sesame oil, a range of 10-300 $¯mu$g/ml was used. Growth inhibition was determined by harvesting and counting the total number of cells by hemacytometer after five or eight days of incubation and comparing them to controls. The results showed that free linoleic acid and undigested sesame oil all had a significantly stronger inhibitory effect on both the malignant melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines than on the corresponding normal cell lines throughout most of the dosage ranges tested.
In comparison with other common vegetable oils and their major component fatty acids, the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid, the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, and the vegetable oils; olive, coconut and safflower all were tested on the malignant melanoma cells. Of these, only safflower, had a significantly selective inhibitory effect.
In conclusion, these results suggest vegetable oils with high linoleic acid content, such as sesame, may possess selective antineoplastic properties against the in vitro growth of malignant melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma. This finding appears to warrant further investigation into the clinical usefulness of the Ayurvedic procedure of topically applying sesame oil. Source: DAI, 52, no. 06B, (1991): 2868
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