Supplementation of deep-sea mineral water improves the anti-cancer effects of tomato in colorectal cancer cells

Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is a well-known anti-cancer food; however, the impact of cultivation methods on its anti-cancer effects is unexplored. Deep sea water (DSW) contains high concentrations of various minerals, offering diverse health-positive outcomes. This study compared the anti-cancer effects of tomatoes cultivated conventionally (REG), organically (OG), and organically with DSW supplementation (ODSW). Among all tomato extracts (TEs), ODSW had the highest activities of ABTS, DPPH, total phenolic and flavonoids. All TEs significantly decreased the cell viability, cell migration, and colony formation of HCT116 and Caco2 cells; however, compared to REG and OG, ODSW led to a further decrease of those indicators. Additionally, ODSW suppressed cell cycle regulation proteins (e.g., p-STAT3 and occludin) than REG and OG. Moreover, ODSW produced a high level of pro-apoptotic protein (e.g., Bim) relative to REG and OG. These findings suggest that DSW-supplementation organic cultivation can improve the efficacy of tomatoes' anti-cancer effects in CRC cells. Summary figure representing the anti-cancer effects of distinct cultivated tomatoes against CRC cells • DSW-cultivated organic tomatoes (ODSW) elevates its antioxidant capacity. • ODSW strongly inhibits CRC cell viability compared to other cultivation methods. • ODSW markedly reduces CRC migration and colony formation than other methods. • ODSW lowers cell cycle arrest and apoptosis proteins than other cultivation methods.