Anthony Lin

Title: Purification and Identification of P-coumaroylquinic acid in Jerusalem Artichoke as a Potent Anticarcinogenic Agent Against Human Colorectal and U937 Lymphoma Cancer Cells by Anthony Lin, Kevin Zhong, Andrew Qin

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Abstract: Colorectal cancer and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma are among some of the most prevalent cancers in the United States. Helianthus tuberosus (HT), more commonly known as Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke, is a plant native to North America known for having various anticancer effects. This plant also contains p-coumaroylquinic acid (PC), a polyphenol that exhibits antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this project, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) were performed to isolate and identify PC as a significant active ingredient in HT. Afterwards, a series of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), cell attachment, and cell migration assays were carried out in order to test PC’s ability to target cancer cells, prevent tumor growth, and inhibit metastasis. After thorough statistical analyses of the data obtained in this project, the effects of PC were determined to be significant as it was viable in most of the aforementioned categories, proving to be a major factor in HT’s potential as an anticarcinogen. Consequently, this experiment successfully identified PC as a potent candidate for future cancer treatment.

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Title: A Novel Study Investigating 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid as an Anti-inflammatory Compound against Inflammatory Bowel Disease

by Anthony Lin

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Abstract: This research investigation sought to explore a new treatment for autoimmune, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (1,5D), a chemical compound found in the herb Helianthus tuberosus (HT). Previous research has shown that dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) can give rise to IBD through the induction of gut cell apoptosis. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a type of bacterial endotoxin, are also known to cause apoptosis and inflammation. Through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, 1,5D was identified as a possible anti-inflammatory compound that could counteract the effects of DSS and LPS. Afterwards, tests were conducted to measure 1,5D’s effect on DSS and LPS-induced cell death, DSS and LPS-induced immune cell adhesion, and expression of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. It was found that 1,5D significantly inhibited cell death and immune cell adhesion caused by DSS and LPS. Additionally, 1,5D upregulated the expression of IL-10 and downregulated the expression of TNFα and IL-1β, proinflammatory cytokines that are key markers in IBD and other autoimmune diseases. From these findings, it is evident that 1,5D is a strong anti-inflammatory agent and thus, has potential as a future treatment for IBD.

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Click here for a PDF of the full paper!