The addition of lactoferrin
and three unsaturated fatty acids,
oleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and linolenic acid, to dairy
products was approved in recent years. Research into the biological
activities of lactoferrin and these three unsaturated fatty acids
has revealed anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor,
antiparasitic, and antibiotic effects. However, investigations and
comparisons of lactoferrin + oleic acid/DHA/linolenic acid combinations
in an esophageal cancer cell model and in xenograft tumor models have
not been extensively reported, and the related mechanism of these
combinations remains elusive. In the present study, the effects of
lactoferrin and the three fatty acids on KYSE450 cell viability, migration,
and invasion were investigated to choose the proper doses and effective
combination
in vitro
. A tumor-bearing nude mouse
model was established to investigate the role of selected combinations
in inhibiting esophageal tumor formation
in vivo
.
Metabonomics detection and data analysis were performed to screen
special metabolites and related pathways, which were validated by
western blotting. The results demonstrated that lactoferrin, the three
unsaturated fatty acids, and their combinations inhibited the viability,
migration, and invasion of KYSE450 cells and induced apoptosis and
the lactoferrin + linolenic acid combination exhibited the strongest
activity in suppressing KYSE450 tumor formation
in vivo.
The lactoferrin + linolenic acid combination inhibited phosphorylation
in the JAK2/STAT3-related pathway by downregulating the special metabolite
lithocholyltaurine, thereby suppressing formation of KYSE450 tumors.