Different fractions of Viburnum opulus juice induce apoptosis and inhibit cancer growth in Ehrlich ascites tumor models.

The increasing interest in complementary strategies to conventional chemotherapy has intensified research into plant-derived bioactive compounds with potential antitumor activity. This study investigated the in vitro and in vivo antitumoral effects of Viburnum opulus (VO) fruit juice fractions with different molecular weights on the Ehrlich Ascites Tumor (EAT) model. For this aim, EAT cells were assigned to control, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), VO juice extract (<50 kDa and >50 kDa) groups, and apoptotic responses and alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed at 3, 24, and 48 h of incubation. While no significant apoptotic changes were detected at three hours, both VO fractions induced a time-dependent increase in total apoptosis at 24 and 48 h, with the < 50 kDa fraction exhibiting a more pronounced effect. Notably, the > 50 kDa VO fraction caused a significant elevation in the proportion of mitochondrial membrane-depolarized cells (P < 0.001), indicating activation of mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathways. In addition to in vitro experiments, 77 male BALB/c mice were allocated into control, sham, 5-FU, < 50 kDa VO, and > 50 kDa VO groups following EAT induction. Histopathological evaluation of internal organs revealed a markedly higher abundance of EAT cells in the positive control group compared to the VO-treated groups. Also, no detectable EAT cells were observed in tissue sections from mice receiving the > 50 kDa VO fraction. All treatment groups demonstrated significant reductions in body weight and abdominal circumference compared with control animals, consistent with suppressed tumor progression. These findings demonstrate that different fractions of VO extracts show significant antitumor effects against EAT cells through apoptosis-associated mechanisms, highlighting their potential as candidates for further preclinical investigation in cancer research and warranting further mechanistic and translational investigation.