An insight towards anticancer potential of major coffee constituents

Citrinin as a potential anti-cancer therapy: A comprehensive review

Citrinin (CIT) is a polyketide-derived mycotoxin, which is produced by many fungal strains belonging to the gerena Monascus, Aspergillus, and Penicillium. It has been postulated that mycotoxins have several toxic mechanisms and are potentially used as antineoplastic agents. Therefore, the present study carried out a systematic review, including articles from 1978 to 2022, by collecting evidence in experimental studies of CIT antiplorifactive activity in cancer. The Data indicate that CIT intervenes in important mediators and cell signaling pathways, including MAPKs, ERK1/2, JNK, Bcl-2, BAX, caspases 3,6,7 and 9, p53, p21, PARP cleavage, MDA, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses (SOD, CAT, GST and GPX). These factors demonstrate the potential antitumor drug CIT in inducing cell death, reducing DNA repair capacity and inducing cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in cancer cells.

Phenolic Acids-Mediated Regulation of Molecular Targets in Ovarian Cancer: Current Understanding and Future Perspectives

Cancer is a global health concern with a dynamic rise in occurrence and one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Among different types of cancer, ovarian cancer (OC) is the seventh most diagnosed malignant tumor, while among the gynecological malignancies, it ranks third after cervical and uterine cancer and sadly bears the highest mortality and worst prognosis. First-line treatments have included a variety of cytotoxic and synthetic chemotherapeutic medicines, but they have not been particularly effective in extending OC patients' lives and are associated with side effects, recurrence risk, and drug resistance. Hence, a shift from synthetic to phytochemical-based agents is gaining popularity, and researchers are looking into alternative, cost-effective, and safer chemotherapeutic strategies. Lately, studies on the effectiveness of phenolic acids in ovarian cancer have sparked the scientific community's interest because of their high bioavailability, safety profile, lesser side effects, and cost-effectiveness. Yet this is a road less explored and critically analyzed and lacks the credibility of the novel findings. Phenolic acids are a significant class of phytochemicals usually considered in the nonflavonoid category. The current review focused on the anticancer potential of phenolic acids with a special emphasis on chemoprevention and treatment of OC. We tried to summarize results from experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies unraveling the benefits of various phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid) in chemoprevention and as anticancer agents of clinical significance.

Mitigative effect of caffeine against diclofenac-induced hepato-renal damage and chromosomal aberrations in male albino rats

BACKGROUND

Among the most commonly consumed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) is Diclofenac (Dic), especially in low-income countries due to its high efficiency and affordable price. However, the continuous administration of Diclofenac may induce toxic effects on various body organs including the liver and kidney. Caffeine (Caf) (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is a pharmacologically active alkaloid type with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

AIM

The current study aims to evaluate the ameliorative effect of Caffeine against Dic-induced hepato-renal toxicity and damage.

METHODS

Twenty-four male albino rats type were assigned randomly into four groups (n = 6): (Group 1): Control group, (Group 2): Six male rats were exposed to Dic 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally (I.P) for 28 days, (Group 3): Six male rats were exposed to Caf (15 mg/kg orally) for 28 days; (Groups 4): Six male rats were exposed to Dic (10 mg/kg, i.p) + Caf (15 mg/kg, orally) for 28 days. Histopathological study and various biological parameters were estimated among the four groups including hemoglobin (Hb%) red blood cells (RBCs), Hematocrit (HT%), total leucocyte count (WBCs), lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, creatinine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and nitric oxide (NO).

RESULTS

The administration of Diclofenac resulted in significant deteriorations in the histopathological findings and estimated biological parameters. Whereas, daily Caffeine administration ameliorated Diclofenac-induced toxicity in the kidney and liver by three mechanisms including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and DNA damage inhibition.

CONCLUSION

The current study demonstrated the promising ameliorative and protective effects of Caffeine against Diclofenac-induced hepatic and renal injury.

A comprehensive insight on modern green analyses for quality control determination and processing monitoring in coffee and cocoa seeds

Green analysis is defined as the analysis of chemicals in a manner where sample extraction and analysis are performed with least amounts of steps, low hazardous materials, while maintaining efficiency in terms of analytes detection. Coffee and cocoa represent two of the most popular and valued beverages worldwide in addition to their several products i.e., cocoa butter, chocolates. This study presents a comprehensive overview of green methods used to evaluate cocoa and coffee seeds quality compared to other conventional techniques highlighting advantages and or limitations of each. Green techniques discussed in this review include solid phase microextraction, spectroscopic techniques i.e., infra-red (IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) besides, e-tongue and e-nose for detection of flavor. The employment of multivariate data analysis in data interpretation is also highlighted in the context of identifying key components pertinent to specific variety, processing method, and or geographical origin.

Molecular Mechanisms of Coffee on Prostate Cancer Prevention

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common types of cancer among men, and coffee is associated with a reduced risk of developing PCa. Therefore, we aim to review possible coffee molecular mechanisms that contribute to PCa prevention. Coffee has an important antioxidant capacity that reduces oxidative stress, leading to a reduced mutation in cells. Beyond direct antioxidant activity, coffee stimulates phase II enzymatic activity, which is related to the detoxification of reactive metabolites. The anti-inflammatory effects of coffee reduce tissue damage related to PCa development. Coffee induces autophagy, regulates the NF-κB pathway, and reduces the expression of iNOS and inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and CRP. Also, coffee modulates transcriptional factors and pathways. It has been shown that coffee increases testosterone and reduces sex hormone-binding globulin, estrogen, and prostate-specific antigen. Coffee also enhances insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. All these effects may contribute to protection against PCa development.

Applying Box-Behnken Design for Formulation and Optimization of PLGA-Coffee Nanoparticles and Detecting Enhanced Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

In an attempt to prove biological activity enhancement upon particle size reduction to the nanoscale, coffee (Cf) was chosen to be formulated into poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) using the single emulsion-solvent evaporation (SE-SE) method via Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to study the impact of certain process and formulation parameters on the particle size and size homogeneity, surface stability and encapsulation efficiency (EE%). The coffee-loaded PLGA (PLGA-Cf) NPs were characterized by different methods to aid in selecting the optimum formulation conditions. The desirable physicochemical characteristics involved small particle sizes with an average of 318.60 ± 5.65 nm, uniformly distributed within a narrow range (PDI of 0.074 ± 0.015), with considerable stability (Zeta Potential of -20.50 ± 0.52 mV) and the highest EE% (85.92 ± 4.01%). The antioxidant and anticancer activities of plain PLGA NPs, pure Cf and the optimum PLGA-Cf NPs, were evaluated using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, respectively. As a result of nano-encapsulation, antioxidant activity was enhanced by 26.5%. Encapsulated Cf showed higher anticancer potency than pure Cf against different cancerous cell lines with an increase of 86.78%, 78.17%, 85.84% and 84.84% against MCF-7, A-549, HeLa and HepG-2, respectively. The in vitro release followed the Weibull release model with slow and biphasic release profile in both tested pH media, 7.4 and 5.5.

Polymeric Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Black Tea and Coffee Extracts for Topical Applications

Tea and coffee are popular beverages. Both are also used in topical applications, such as ultraviolet (UV) protection, anti-aging, and wound healing. However, the impact of tea and coffee extract on skin cells is minimally explored. This study investigated the direct exposure of tea and coffee extract on skin cells using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It was found that direct exposure of tea and coffee to skin cells can be toxic at a high dose on prolonged exposure (72 h). Therefore, it was hypothesized that a formulation providing a controlled release of tea and coffee could improve their skin compatibility. Thermally cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels loaded with tea and coffee extracts (with and without milk) were formulated and optimized. The release profiles of these hydrogels were studied at varying loading efficiency. Milk addition with tea extract retarded the tea extract release from hydrogel while minimally affecting the coffee release. This effect was due to the molecular interaction of tea with milk components, showing changes in size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index. The release study best fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas release model. Skin cells exposed to tea or coffee-loaded hydrogel showed normal skin cell morphology under fluorescence microscopic analysis. In conclusion, the hydrogels controlled the tea and coffee release and showed biocompatibility with skin cells. It can potentially be used for skin applications.

Alkaloids of Peganum harmala: Anticancer Biomarkers with Promising Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a serious and growing global health issue worldwide. In the cancerous cells, the normal cell cycle has been disrupted via a series of irreversible changes. Recently, the investigations on herbal medicine and clarifying the phytochemicals potential in treat cancer has been increased. The combination of phytochemicals with conventional cancer treatment approaches can improve outcomes via advancing cell death, restraining cell proliferation and invasion, sensitizing cancerous cells, and promoting the immune system. Therefore, phytochemicals can be introduced as relevant complementary medicaments in cancer therapy. Peganum harmala L. (Zygophyllaceae) as a valuable medicinal herb, possesses various alkaloid ingredient.

OBJECTIVE

Pointing to the importance of new avenues for cancer management and P. harmala convincing effect in this field, this review strived to collect a frame to epitome possible scopes to develop novel medicines in cancer treatment.

METHODS

Keywords "Peganum harmala" and cancer, or chemotherapy, or anti-neoplasm were searched through the "Scopus" database up to 29th of February 2020. Papers linking to agriculture, chemistry, environmental, and genetics sciences were omitted and, papers centered on cancer were selected.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the current study, 42 related papers to cancer treatment and 22 papers on alkaloid bioactive components are collected from 72 papers. The β-carboline alkaloids derived from P. harmala, especially harmine, demonstrate notable anticancer properties by targeting apoptosis, autophagy, abnormal cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and cytotoxicity. Based on the collected information, P. harmala holds significant anticancer activity. Considering the mechanism of the various anticancer drugs and their acting similarity to P. harmala, the alkaloids derived from this herb, particularly harmine, can introduce as a novel anticancer medicine solely or in adjuvant cancer therapy.

Nanoencapsulated dietary polyphenols for cancer prevention and treatment: successes and challenges

Many dietary polyphenols have been investigated for their therapeutic potential either as single agents or in combinations. Despite the significant anticancer potential of these polyphenols in in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models, their clinical applications have been limited because of challenges such as ineffective systemic delivery, stability and low bioavailability. Nanoencapsulation of these polyphenols could prolong circulation, improve localization, enhance efficacy and reduce the chances of multidrug resistance. This review summarized the use of various polyphenols especially epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, curcumin and resveratrol as nanoformulations for cancer prevention and treatment. Despite some success, more research is warranted to design a nanoencapsulated combination of polyphenols, effective in in vitro, in vivo and human systems.

Effect of Diets, Familial History, and Alternative Therapies on Genomic Instability of Breast Cancer Patients

This study evaluates a correlation between family history, micronutrients intake, and alternative therapies with genetic instability, before and during breast cancer treatment. For this study, a total of 150 women were selected. Among those, 50 women were breast cancer patients on chemotherapy, while 50 breast cancer patients were on radiotherapy, and 50 were healthy females. All the participants signed the informed consent form and answered the public health questionnaire. Samples of buccal epithelial and peripheral blood cells were collected and analyzed through micronucleus and comet assays. The cells were evaluated for apoptosis and DNA damage. Results showed the association of patients' family history with an increase in toxicogenetic damage before and during cancer therapy. On the other hand, patients with late-onset cancer also presented genetic instability before and during therapy, along with those who did not take sufficient vegetables and alternative therapies. A positive correlation was observed between the genetic instability and alternative therapies, while inverse correlation was recorded with the vegetable consumption. Results clearly explain that the nutritional aspects and alternative therapies influence the genetic instability before and during cancer therapies especially in radiotherapy treated patients. Our data could be used for the monitoring therapies and management of breast cancer patients.