Extraction and chromatographic separation of anticarcinogenic fractions from cacao bean husk

The utilization of cacao bean husk (CBH), a by-product of chocolate manufacture, would be both environmentally and economically beneficial. For this purpose, a process for effectively separating and fractionating CBH fractions having cancer preventive potential was developed in this study. For screening the fractions with potent cancer preventive activity, we examined the effect of extracts and fractions of CBH on the inhibition of gap-junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and the DNA synthesis of cancer cells, both of which are characteristics of the promotion and progression stages in carcinogenesis. The extracts of CBH (especially, the 60% ethanol fraction after extraction with 50% acetone) containing 43 wt.% polyphenol exerted an excellent protective effect on H₂O₂-induced inhibition of GJIC in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells as determined by the scrape-loading/dye transfer assay. The enhancement of GJIC by the extracts of CBH was approximately 10-fold higher than that of a well-known dietary chemopreventive component, vitamin C. The extracts of CBH (especially, the 60% ethanol fraction) also suppressed DNA synthesis in all liver, stomach, and colon cancer cells as demonstrated by the ³H-thymidine incorporation assay, by approximately four-fold higher than that of vitamin C. These results imply that the polyphenol extracts and fractions of CBH are effective functional materials to be used in either preventing or inhibiting cancer.