Biluochun green tea exerts potent anti-myeloma effects through mitochondria dependent and independent pathways

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that can be significantly improved using autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and new drugs. However, MM remains incurable. Some active ingredients in green tea, such as epigallocatechin gallate, play a preventive and potentially therapeutic role via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cardiovascular, and antitumor effects. However, the clinical application in anti-MM therapy is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine and evaluate the apoptotic effects of a novel green tea component on MM. Results Comparing four green teas from different origins showed that Biluochun tea has advantages in anti-MM effects in vitro and in vivo . Mass spectrometry analysis of four green teas revealed that Dihydromyricetin (DMY) is an important distinguishing component between Biluochun and other green teas. DMY induced apoptosis of MM cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanism study showed that the mitochondrial membrane potential of MM cells decreased significantly after treatment with Biluochun tea decoction and DMY, the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 proteins was downregulated, and the cleaved fragments of the related proteins increased. Conclusion In summary, our study suggests that Biluochun tea plays an anti-MM role. As a component of green tea, the apoptotic effect of DMY on MM may be mediated via the mitochondria-mediated caspase activation pathway. Our study presents new ideas for the beverage healthcare of MM patients, and the discovery of the active component DMY provides a new direction for drug manufacturing.