The Apoptotic Effects of Human Milk & Carabao’s Milk on HeLa Cancer Cells

Abstract

By serendipity, researchers in Sweden found that breast (human) milk induced apoptosis in cancer cells and left healthy cells intact. Alpha-lactalbumin, isolated from the casein component of milk, was identified as human milk’s cancer-killing protein. In this follow-through study, human milk and three types of carabao’s milk (pure breed, native, and cross breed) were tested for apoptotic potential on HeLa cancer cells. Per cent mortalities of the HeLa cells were determined using trypan blue exclusion. The anticancer potential of human milk casein isolate was confirmed, with HeLa cell mortalities as high as 93% to 100%. Other mammalian milk forms, excluding those from the carabao, have been tested but none induced cell suicide in cancer cells. First-time tests on carabao milk conducted in this study reveal no significant apoptotic potential against HeLa cells. However, a consistent increasing trend in the per cent mortality of HeLa cells resulting from treatment with casein isolates from the three types of carabao’s milk was found to follow the order: cross breed, native, and pure breed. The analysis of variance of the completely randomized design indicate that there is a significant difference among treatments.