Theobromine suppresses NF-κB signaling and promotes apoptosis in lung cancer and osteosarcoma cells

Objectives: Theobromine has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.However, its molecular impact on cancer-associated signaling pathways remains poorly understood.This research was undertaken to evaluate the pro-apoptotic signaling effects of Theobromine on A549 lung cancer and Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells, focusing on modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods: A549 and Saos-2 cells were exposed to Theobromine and the reference NF-κB inhibitor sulfasalazine at their IC₅₀ concentrations.Cell viability and IC₅₀ values were determined using the WST-1 assay.Apoptosis was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, and total and phosphorylated NF-κB and IKK protein levels were quantified by flow cytometry.Results: Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).In A549 lung cancer cells, Theobromine significantly induced apoptosis (p