Anthocyanins are secondary metabolites and water-soluble pigments belonging to the phenolic group, with important functions in nature such as seed dispersal, pollination and development of plant organs. In addition to these important roles in plant life, anthocyanins are also used as natural pigments in various industries, due to the color palette they can produce from red to blue and purple. In addition, recent research has reported that anthocyanins have important antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which can be used in the chemoprevention of various diseases such as diabetes, obesity and even cancer. However, anthocyanins have a major disadvantage, namely their low stability. Thus, their stability is influenced by a number of factors such as pH, light, temperature, co-pigmentation, sulfites, ascorbic acid, oxygen and enzymes. As such, this review aims at summarizing the effects of these factors on the stability of anthocyanins and their degradation. From this point of view, it is very important to be precisely aware of the impact that each parameter has on the stability of anthocyanins, in order to minimize their negative action and subsequently potentiate their beneficial health effects.

The present study was aimed at evaluating the antiproliferative potential of anthocyanin-rich fractions (ARFs) obtained from two commercially available juices (blueberry and blackcurrant juices) on three tumor cell lines; B16F10 (murine melanoma), A2780 (ovarian cancer) and HeLa (cervical cancer). Individual anthocyanin determination, identification and quantification were done using HPLC-MS. Antioxidant activity of the juices was determined through different mechanism methods such as DPPH and ORAC. For biological testing, the juices were purified through C18 cartridges in order to obtain fractions rich in anthocyanins. The major anthocyanins identified were glycosylated cyanidin derivatives. The antiproliferative activity of the fractions was tested using the MTT assay. The antiproliferative potential of ARF was found to be associated with those bioactive molecules, anthocyanins due to their antioxidant potential. The results obtained indicated that both blueberry and blackcurrants are rich sources of antioxidants including anthocyanins and therefore these fruits are highly recommended for daily consumption to prevent numerous degenerative diseases.

Cannabis sativa L. is a plant long used for its textile fibers, seed oil, and oleoresin with medicinal and psychoactive properties. It is the main source of phytocannabinoids, with over 100 compounds detected so far. In recent years, a lot of attention has been given to the main phytochemicals present in Cannabis sativa L., namely, cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Compared to THC, CBD has non-psychoactive effects, an advantage for clinical applications of anti-tumor benefits. The review is designed to provide an update regarding the multi-target effects of CBD in different types of cancer. The main focus is on the latest in vitro and in vivo studies that present data regarding the anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, cytotoxic, anti-invasive, anti-antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of CBD together with their mechanisms of action. The latest clinical evidence of the anticancer effects of CBD is also outlined. Moreover, the main aspects of the pharmacological and toxicological profiles are given.

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