Phytonanomedicine as a therapeutic regulator of the tumor microenvironment for inhibiting cancer metastasis

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT "The development of phytonanomedicine-based approach seems to be a very promising candidate for modulating protumorigenic tumor microenvironment to suppress cancer metastasis."

Potential of Curcumin in the Management of Skin Diseases

Curcumin is a polyphenolic molecule derived from the rhizoma of Curcuma longa L. This compound has been used for centuries due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. These make it ideal for preventing and treating skin inflammation, premature skin ageing, psoriasis, and acne. Additionally, it exhibits antiviral, antimutagenic, and antifungal effects. Curcumin provides protection against skin damage caused by prolonged exposure to UVB radiation. It reduces wound healing times and improves collagen deposition. Moreover, it increases fibroblast and vascular density in wounds. This review summarizes the available information on the therapeutic effect of curcumin in treating skin diseases. The results suggest that curcumin may be an inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective agent for treating skin diseases. However, larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these observations due to limitations in its in vivo use, such as low bioavailability after oral administration and metabolism.

Targeted delivery of genistein for pancreatic cancer treatment using hyaluronic-coated cubosomes bioactivated with frankincense oil

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy that remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Research for innovative anticancer therapeutic options is thus imperative. In this regard, phytotherapeutics offer great promise as efficient treatment modalities, especially leveraging nanodrug delivery. Herein, we innovatively coloaded the flavonoid genistein (Gen) and frankincense essential oil (FO) within cubosomes, which were then coated with the bioactive ligand hyaluronic acid (HA/Gen-FO-Cub) for active-targeting of pancreatic cancer. The novel HA/Gen-FO-Cub displayed optimum nanosize (198.2 ± 4.5 nm), PDI (0.27 ± 0.01), zeta-potential (-34.7 ± 1.2 mV), Gen entrapment (99.3 ± 0.01 %), and controlled Gen release (43.7 ± 1.2 % after 120 h). HA/Gen-FO-Cub exerted selective anticancer activity on pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1; 8-fold drop in IC50), cellular uptake and anti-migratory effect compared to Gen solution. HA/Gen-FO-Cub revealed prominent cytocompatibility (100 ± 5.9 % viability of human dermal fibroblast). Moreover, HA/Gen-FO-Cub boosted the in vivo anticancer activity of Gen in an orthotopic cancer model, affording tumor growth suppression (2.5-fold drop) and downregulation of NFκB and VEGF (2.9- and 1.8-fold decrease, respectively), compared to Gen suspension. Antimetastatic efficacy and Bcl-2-downexpression was histologically confirmed. Our findings demonstrate the promising anticancer aptitude of HA/Gen-FO-Cub as an effective phytotherapeutic nanodelivery system for pancreatic cancer therapy.

Pro-apoptotic effect of chloroform fraction of Moraea sisyrinchium bulb against glioblastoma cells

INTRODUCTION

Glioblastoma is a common malignant brain tumor, with limited therapeutic options. In our previous study, the Moraea sisyrinchium plant showed cytotoxicity against glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Among different parts of this plant (flower, stem, and bulb), the bulb showed better anticancer potential. The present work aimed to test the anticancer activity of different fractions of the bulb extract, to determine its phytochemicals, and to study its mechanism action on glioblastoma.

METHODS

The bulb extract was partitioned into different fractions using immiscible solvents. The U87 glioblastoma cells were incubated with the obtained fractions. Then, the cell proliferation assay (MTT), cell migration test (scratch), cell cycle analysis (propidium iodide staining), apoptosis/necrosis assay (annexin V/propidium iodide staining), and real-time PCR (PTEN, Akt, mTOR, BAX and BCL-2 genes) were performed. Phytochemicals were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy.

RESULTS

The chloroform fraction showed more antiproliferative effect than n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions. Also, chloroform fraction induced cell cycle arrest, increased apoptosis, and inhibited cell migration ability (P < 0.05). The expression of PTEN, mTOR, and BAX genes was significantly up-regulated, while the expression of Akt and Bcl-2 showed down-regulation. The phytochemicals identified in the chloroform fraction were mainly xanthones, phytosterols, and isoflavones.

CONCLUSION

The chloroform fraction of Moraea sisyrinchium bulb inhibits the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by upregulation of the PTEN gene and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The identified compounds in the chloroform fraction are potential candidates for further investigation as anticancer agents against glioblastoma.

Sage Essential Oil as an Antimicrobial Agent against Salmonella enterica during Beef Sous Vide Storage

Sous-vide is a process comprising vacuum-sealing food, heating it to the desired temperature, and circulating it in a water bath in a sous vide machine. This cooking technique is increasingly common in homes and catering establishments due to its simplicity and affordability. However, manufacturers and chef's recommendations for low-temperature and long-term sous-vide cooking in media raise food safety concerns, particularly when preparing beef tenderloin. In this study, Salmonella enterica was found to be inactivated by heat and sage essential oil (EO) in beef samples from musculus psoas major that had been sous vide processed. To determine whether heat treatment was likely to increase the sous vide efficiency, S. enterica and sage EO were mixed. After being vacuum-packed and injected with S. enterica, the samples were cooked at 50-65 °C through the sous vide technique for the prescribed time. On days 1, 3, and 6, the amounts of S. enterica, total bacteria, and coliform bacteria were measured in the control and treated groups of beef processed sous vide. Mass spectrometry was used to identify bacterial isolates on different days. On each day that was measured, a higher number of all the microbiota was found in the samples exposed to 50 °C for 5 min. The most frequently isolated microorganisms from both groups of samples were Pseudomonas fragi (17%), Pseudomonas cedrina (8%), and Proteus vulgaris (8%); in the treated group, also S. enterica (21%), Pseudomonas fragi (13%), and Pseudomonas veronii (6%). After the heat treatment of samples at 65 °C for 20 min, the total count of bacteria and coliform bacteria was zero. It has been shown that adding sage essential oil (EO) in combination with sous vide processing technique leads to the stabilization and safety of beef tenderloin.

Screening for Chemical Characterization and Pharmacological Properties of Different Extracts from Nepeta italica

Plants from the Nepeta genus have been proved to possess different pharmacological properties, among which are antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and cytotoxic effects. Nepeta italica is a medicinal plant traditionally used for its analgesic effects, and in the present study, the phytochemical composition and biological effects of hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol, ethanol-water, and water extracts of the aerial parts were investigated for determining phenolic composition, antioxidant effects, and anti-inflammatory effects in isolated mouse colon specimens exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Polar extracts were the richest in terms of phenolic compounds, especially rosmarinic acid. In parallel, ethanol, ethanol-water, and water extracts were also the most effective as scavenging/reducing and enzyme inhibition agents, especially towards cholinesterases and α-glucosidase, and in inhibiting the LPS-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) gene expression in mouse colon. This poses the basis for future in vivo investigations for confirming the protective effects of polar extracts of N. italica against inflammatory bowel diseases.

Integrated molecular modeling and dynamics approaches revealed potential natural inhibitors of NF-κB transcription factor as breast cancer therapeutics

Breast cancer is a silent killer malady among women and a serious economic burden in health care management. A case of breast cancer is diagnosed among women every 19 s, and every 74 s, a woman dies of breast cancer somewhere in the world. Despite the pop-up of progressive research, advanced treatment approaches, and preventive measures, breast cancer remains amplifying ailment. The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a key transcription factor that links inflammation with cancer and is demonstrated as being involved in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer. The NF-κB transcription factor family in mammals consists of five proteins; c-Rel, RelA(p65), RelB, NF-κB1(p50), and NF-κB2(p52). The antitumor effect of NF-κB has also been explored in breast cancer, however, the actual treatment for breast cancer is yet to be discovered. This study is attributed to the identification of novel drug targets against breast cancer by targeting c-Rel, RelA(p65), RelB, NF-κB1(p50), and NF-κB2(p52) proteins. To identify the putative active compounds, a structure-based 3D pharmacophore model to the protein active site cavity was generated followed by virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Initially, a library of 45000 compounds were docked against the target protein and five compounds namely Z56811101, Z653426226, Z1097341967, Z92743432, and Z464101066 were selected for further analysis. The relative binding affinity of Z56811101, Z653426226, Z1097341967, Z92743432, and Z464101066 with NF-κB1 (p50), NF-κB2 (p52), RelA (p65), RelB, and c-Rel proteins were -6.8, -8, -7.0, -6.9, and -7.2 kcal/mol, respectively which remained stable throughout the simulations of 200 ns. Furthermore, all of these compounds depict maximum drug-like properties. Therefore, the proposed compounds can be a potential candidate for patients with breast cancer, but, experimental validation is needed to ensure their safety.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Diversity of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad Seeds Extracts: Detailed Chemical Profiling and Evaluation of Their Medicinal Properties

Seeds and fruits of Citrullus colocynthis have been reported to possess huge potential for the development of phytopharmaceuticals with a wide range of biological activities. Thus, in the current study, we are reporting the potential antimicrobial and anticancer properties of C. colocynthis seeds extracted with solvents of different polarities, including methanol (M.E.), hexane (H.E.), and chloroform (C.E.). Antimicrobial properties of C. colocynthis seeds extracts were evaluated on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whereas, anticancer properties were tested on four different cell lines, including HepG2, DU145, Hela, and A549. All the extracts have demonstrated noteworthy antimicrobial activities with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.9-62.5 µg/mL against Klebsiella planticola and Staphylococcus aureus; meanwhile, they were found to be moderately active (MIC 62.5-250 µg/mL) against Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus strains. Hexane extracts have demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity against K. planticola with an MIC value of 0.9 µg/mL, equivalent to that of the standard drug ciprofloxacin used as positive control in this study. For anticancer activity, all the extracts of C. colocynthis seeds were found to be active against all the tested cell lines (IC₅₀ 48.49-197.96 µg/mL) except for the chloroform extracts, which were found to be inactive against the HepG2 cell line. The hexane extract was found to possess the most prominent anticancer activity when compared to other extracts and has demonstrated the highest anticancer activity against the DU145 cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 48.49 µg/mL. Furthermore, a detailed phytoconstituents analysis of all the extracts of C. colocynthis seeds were performed using GC-MS and GC-FID techniques. Altogether, 43 phytoconstituents were identified from the extracts of C. colocynthis seeds, among which 21, 12, and 16 components were identified from the H.E., C.E., and M.E. extracts, respectively. Monoterpenes (40.4%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (41.1%) were the most dominating chemical class of compounds from the hexane and chloroform extracts, respectively; whereas, in the methanolic extract, oxygenated aliphatic hydrocarbons (77.2%) were found to be the most dominating chemical class of compounds. To the best of our knowledge, all the phytoconstituents identified in this study are being reported for the first time from the C. colocynthis.

iACP-GE: accurate identification of anticancer peptides by using gradient boosting decision tree and extra tree

Cancer is one of the main diseases threatening human life, accounting for millions of deaths around the world each year. Traditional physical and chemical methods for cancer treatment are extremely time-consuming, lab-intensive, expensive, inefficient and difficult to be applied in a high-throughput way. Hence, it is an urgent task to develop automated computational methods to enable fast and accurate identification of anticancer peptides (ACPs). In this paper, we develop a novel model named iACP-GE to identify ACPs. Multi-features are extracted by using binary encoding, enhanced grouped amino acid composition and BLOSUM62 encoding based on the N5C5 sequence, as well as detrended forward moving-average auto-cross correlation analysis based on physicochemical properties of 20 natural amino acids. Thus, 835 features are obtained for each sample, in order to avoid information redundancy, gradient boosting decision tree was adopted as the feature selection strategy. Then, the optimal feature subset is input to the extra tree classifier. The accuracies of ACP740 and ACP240 datasets with the 5-fold cross-validation were 90.54% and 91.25%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that iACP-GE significantly outperforms several existing models on ACP740 and ACP240 datasets and can be used as an effective tool for the identification of ACPs. The datasets and source codes for iACP-GE are available at https://github.com/yunyunliang88/iACP-GE.

β-Caryophyllene oxide inhibits metastasis by downregulating MMP-2, p-p38 and p-ERK in human fibrosarcoma cells

When cancer cells transform into malignant tumors, they gain the ability to ignore growth-inhibiting signals, have endless reproduction potential, resist apoptosis, and induce angiogenesis and invade other tissues. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) allow tumor cells to move into surrounding tissues in many malignancies, but metastasis is blocked by MMPs inhibitors. Therefore, the effect of β-caryophyllene oxide (CPO) contained in Piper nigrum on Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) related to MMPs signaling pathways in human fibrosarcoma was examined in HT1080 cells. The effect of CPO on cell viability was performed using the MTT assay. Cytotoxicity was observed in the presence of CPO above 16 μM. Next, gelatin zymography was performed in the cells activated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). It was found that CPO at 32 μM reduced MMP-9 activity by 28% and MMP-2 activity by 60%. To confirm the effect of CPO on MMPs, Western blot analyses for MMP-2, MAPKs were carried out in this study. The expression level of MMP-2 was reduced by 45% in the presence of CPO at 32 μM, but those of p-p38 and p-ERK were reduced by 50% and 40%, respectively. CPO decreased the expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the immunofluorescence staining assay. Finally, an invasion assay was performed in PMA-treated human fibrosarcoma cells. It was demonstrated that CPO reduced cell invasion of HT1080 cells in a dose-dependent manner starting at a concentration of 2 μM. The above results suggest that CPO could be used as a potential candidate for the treatment of metastasis by inhibiting MMP-2, p-p38 and p-ERK. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Cancer makes it easier for cells to spread to other tissue via blood and lymph systems. Tumor cells deplete nutrients and induce angiogenesis, which penetrates and spreads to other parts of the body. As a result, the effect of CPO against cell invasion was evaluated in this study. CPO reduced cancer cell invasion by inactivating p-ERK and p-p38, according to the findings. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activation and protein expression were also decreased by CPO. As a result, CPO might be used as an alternate treatment agent for preventing metastasis.

Antioxidant and Anticancer Potentials of the Olive and Sesame Mixture against Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colorectal Cancer in Wistar Rats

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and natural agents have shown some promise in fighting it. Thus, the present study tried to evaluate the healing potential of an equal combination of olive and sesame extract (MOS) against the colorectal cancerous lesions that were induced by dimethylhydrazine (DMH) in male rats and also compare the anticarcinogenic potential of the MOS and vitamin E with each other. Therefore, the mixture of equal olive and sesame extract (MOS) was used as the main treatment, alongside vitamin E as a parallel treatment. This study examined the red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) levels, biochemical indices, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), total protein (TP), creatine kinase (CPK), albumin, and the colon tissue pathology, as well as the level of protein expression of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Also, the tissue stress markers including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed. Overall, the results represented a significant reduction in the congestion, mitotic index, inflammation, and cell destruction in the MOS group compared to the DMH group. In terms of the oxidative stress level, a significant increase was observed in the DMH group in comparison with the DMH-MOS group (P < 0.05), and the MOS significantly increased TAC level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the DMH+MOS-exposed group exhibited a significantly lower expression of the PCNA, CEA, and PDGF proteins than those of the DMH group. Overall, the MOS showed that it can effectively prevent DMH-induced colon lesions. This mixture, as a strong antioxidant agent, can be clinically applied for preventing and treating colorectal cancer, the effectiveness of which is higher than that of vitamin E.

Experimental and clinical evidence on the effect of carvacrol on respiratory, allergic, and immunologic disorders: A comprehensive review

Carvacrol (CAR) showed various pharmacological and therapeutic effects in different disorders. In the current article, the experimental and clinical effects of CAR on respiratory, allergic, and immunologic disorders are described. Various databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus, were searched regarding the effects of CAR on respiratory and allergic disorders until the end of October 2021. CAR showed the relaxant effect, with various possible mechanisms suggesting the bronchodilatory effect in obstructive pulmonary diseases. The preventive effects of CAR on experimental animal models of respiratory diseases were shown through mechanisms such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory. CAR also showed therapeutic potential on lung cancer, lung infections, and allergic and immunologic disorders. Clinical studies also revealed therapeutic effects of CAR on asthma, sulfur-mustard-induced lug disorders, and some other allergic and immunologic diseases. Pharmacological and therapeutic effects of CAR indicate possible remedy effects of this agent in the treatment of respiratory, allergic, and immunologic diseases.

Phytochemical-based nanodrug delivery in cancer therapy

There are estimated to be 13.1 million cancer deaths by 2030, with 7.6 million deaths occurring each year. Phytochemicals have long been used in traditional medicine to cure cancer. However, conventional therapy for metastatic illness may fail if cancer cells become resistant to multiple anticancer drugs. Phytochemicals encapsulated in nano-based medication delivery devices were studied for their cancer- and chemo-preventive properties. Nanocarriers containing phytoconstituents have been studied in terms of loading efficiency, nanocarrier size, the release profile of the drug, and cell inhibition and treatment tests.

Metastasis prevention: targeting causes and roots

The spread of tumor cells from the primary focus, metastasis, is the main cause of cancer mortality. Therefore, anticancer therapy should be focused on the prevention of metastatic disease. Key targets can be conditions in the primary tumor that are favorable for the appearance of metastatic cells and the first steps of the metastatic cascade. Here, we discuss different approaches for targeting metastasis causes (hypoxia, metabolism changes, and tumor microenvironment) and roots (angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion). Also, we emphasize the challenges of the existing approaches for metastasis prevention and suggest opportunities to overcome them. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of clinical evaluation of the agents showing antimetastatic effects in vivo, especially in patients with early-stage cancers, the identification of metastatic seeds, and the development of therapeutics for their eradication.

Natural products in suppressing glioma progression: A focus on the role of microRNAs

Glioma is one of the most common malignancies of the central nervous system. Due to inadequate response to the current treatments available, glioma has been at the center of recent cancer studies searching for novel treatment strategies. This has prompted an intensive search using linkage studies and preliminary evidence to gain efficient insight into the mechanisms involved in the alleviation of the pathogenesis of glioma mediated by miRNAs, a group of noncoding RNAs that affect gene expression posttranscriptionally. Dysregulated expression of miRNAs can exacerbate the malignant features of tumor cells in glioma and other cancers. Natural products can exert anticancer effects on glioma cells by stimulating the expression levels of tumor suppressor miRNAs and repressing the expression levels of oncogenic miRNAs. In this review, we aimed to collect and analyze the literature addressing the roles of natural products in the treatment of glioma, with an emphasis on their involvement in the regulation of miRNAs.

Curcumin May Prevent Basement Membrane Disassembly by Matrix Metalloproteinases and Progression of the Bladder Cancer

Authors present a review of crucial mechanisms contributing to the invasion of the basement membrane (BM) of the urothelium by cancer cells and to the progression of bladder cancer (BC). The breeching of the urothelial BM, facilitated by an aberrant activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) is particularly perilous. Inhibition of activation of these proteinases constitutes a logic opportunity to restrain progression. Because of limited efficacy of current therapeutic methods, the search for the development of alternative approaches constitutes "the hot spot" of modern oncology. Recent studies revealed significant anticancer potential of natural phytochemicals. Especially, curcumin has emerged as a one of the most promising phytochemicals and showed its efficacy in several human malignancies. Therefore, this article addresses experimental and clinical data indicating multi-directional inhibitory effect of curcumin on the growth of bladder cancer. We particularly concentrate on the mechanisms, by which curcumin inhibits the MMP's activities, thereby securing BM integrity and alleviating the eventual cancer invasion into the bladder muscles. Authors review the recently accumulating data, that curcumin constitutes a potent factor contributing to the more effective treatment of the bladder cancer.

Medicinal Plants for Glioblastoma Treatment

Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, demonstrates the least life expectancy among all brain cancers. Because of the regulation of diverse signaling pathways in cancers, the chemotherapeutic approaches used to suppress their multiplication and spreading are restricted. Sensitivity towards chemotherapeutic agents has developed because of the pathological and drug-evading abilities of these diverse mechanisms. As a result, the identification and exploration of strategies or treatments, which can overcome such refractory obstacles to improve glioblastoma response to treatment as well as recovery, is essential. Medicinal herbs contain a wide variety of bioactive compounds, which could trigger aggressive brain cancers, regulate their anti-cancer mechanisms and immune responses to assist in cancer elimination, and cause cell death. Numerous tumor-causing proteins, which facilitate invasion as well as metastasis of cancer, tolerance of chemotherapies, and angiogenesis, are also inhibited by these phytochemicals. Such herbs remain valuable for glioblastoma prevention and its incidence by effectively being used as anti-glioma therapies. This review thus presents the latest findings on medicinal plants using which the extracts or bioactive components are being used against glioblastoma, their mechanism of functioning, pharmacological description as well as recent clinical studies conducted on them.

Inhibitory Effects of Bilirubin on Colonization and Migration of A431 and SK-MEL-3 Skin Cancer Cells Compared with Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDF)

This study evaluated the inhibitory effects of bilirubin on colony formation and cell migration of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer cell lines SK-MEL-3 and A431, compared with normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). The IC₅₀ obtained from the MTT assay was 125, 100, and 75 μM bilirubin for HDF, A431, and SK-MEL-3 cells, respectively. The colony formation and cell migration of cancer cells, treated with 100 μM bilirubin, were reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Bilirubin decreased cell adhesion and inhibited cell colonization via inducing apoptosis and cell death. Also by interaction with migration main factors, bilirubin caused inhibition the cell migration.

Discovery of small molecule acting as multitarget inhibitor of colorectal cancer by simultaneous blocking of the key COX-2, 5-LOX and PIM-1 kinase enzymes

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second cause of cancer death worldwide. Inhibitors of COX-2, 5-LOX and PIM-1 kinase were very effective in the treatment and prevention of CRC in mouse models in vivo. Furthermore, thymol was confirmed to inhibit CRC cell proliferation in cancer cell lines and inhibitory activity against COX-2 and 5-LOX. On the other hand, 4-thiazolidinone pharmacophore was incorporated in the structures of various reported COX-2, 5-LOX and PIM kinase inhibitors. Consequently, the aim of the present investigation was to combat CRC by synthesis and biological evaluation of new thymol - 4-thiazolidinone hybrids as multitarget anticancer agents that could inhibit the key COX-2, 5-LOX and PIM-1 kinase enzymes simultaneously. Compounds 5a-d and 5g displayed inhibitory activity against COX-2 nearly equal to Celecoxib with high selectivity index (SI). Moreover, compounds 5b-e showed 5-LOX inhibitory activity nearly equal to the reference Quercetin while compounds 5a, 5f and 5g elicited inhibitory activity slightly lower than Quercetin. Furthermore, in vivo formalin-induced paw edema test revealed that, compounds 5a, 5c, 5f and 5g showed higher % inhibition than Celecoxib and compounds 5a, 5f and 5g showed higher % inhibition than Diclofenac sodium. In addition, compounds 5a-c, 5e-g showed in vivo superior gastrointestinal safety profile as Celecoxib in fasted rats. Besides, compounds 5d, 5e and 5g exhibited the highest activity against human CRC cell lines (Caco-2 and HCT-116) at doses less than their EC₁₀₀ on normal human cells. Furthermore, compounds 5e and 5g induced apoptosis-dependent death by above 50% in the treated CRC cell lines. Moreover, compounds 5e and 5g induced caspase activation by >50% in human CRC. Also, compounds 5d, 5e and 5g showed in vitro inhibitory activity against both PIM-1\2 kinases comparable to the reference Staurosporine. In silico docking studies were concordant with the biological results. In conclusion, compound 5g, of simple chemical structure, achieved the target goal of inhibiting three targets leading to inhibition of human CRC cell proliferation. It inhibited the target key enzymes COX-2, 5-LOX and PIM-1\2 kinase in vitro. Besides, it revealed in vitro inhibition of cell proliferation in cancer cell lines via activation of caspase 3\7 dependent-apoptosis in human CRC cell lines. In addition, it elicited in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in formalin-induced paw edema test and in vivo oral safety in gastric ulcerogenic activity test.

Chemical Constituents and their Anti-Tumor Mechanism of Plants from Artemisia

BACKGROUND

At present, chemotherapy is still the main treatment method for cancer, but its side effects and multidrug resistance limit the therapeutic effect seriously. Now the screening of anti-tumor drugs with higher efficiency and lower toxicity from natural products is one of the important research directions for oncotherapy. Artemisia has a variety of anti-tumor constituents, which can exert its anti-tumor effect by inducing tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, arresting cell cycle, accelerating iron ion-mediated oxidative damage, etc. Objective: This paper will provide a focused, up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the anti-tumor active constituents and their mechanisms of plants in Artemisia.

METHOD

The relevant information about Artemisia and its bioactive components comes from scientific databases (such as PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct).

RESULTS

Here we have discussed the present situation and mechanism of bioactive components of Artemisia in anti-tumor. The application prospect of active components of Artemisia in cancer prevention and treatment was investigated.

CONCLUSION

The information summarized in this review may provide new ideas for the follow-up treatment of cancer and contribute to the development of new, effective, multi-side effects and fewer side effects of antineoplastic drugs.

Molecular insights into phytochemicals-driven break function in tumor microenvironment

Advanced knowledge about the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer progression has opened various ways to target the vast signaling pathways for cancer treatment. Failures of the currently used drugs have raised out the need to look for novel drugs which can target various crucial aspects of cancer progression (e.g., angiogenesis, uncontrolled cell division, and metastasis). Phytochemicals behaving as potent anticancer agents shows promise as therapeutics. Various phytochemicals, such as curcumin, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, plumbagin, genistein, and others, have been identified with modulatory effect on TME. These phytochemicals often target the molecular pathways that reside in the tumor vicinity associated with endothelial cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune cells, mesenchymal stem cells, other cell types, vascular and lymphatic networks, and extracellular matrix which are important for tumor progression and development. Some phytochemicals also target the internal signaling pathways, including STAT3, NF-қB, ERK-1/2, and PI3K/Akt signaling of noncancer cell, residing in the microenvironment, and thus inhibiting the supportive effect from these cells in tumor development. However, much information needs to be acquired before using these phytochemicals in cancer treatment. The primary objective of this review is to provide a better knowledge about the role of TME in cancer progression and development, focusing on the different targets which can be used for therapeutic approach, and then to give a brief account on some known phytochemicals to date, which have shown remarkable TME modulatory effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: For the use of phytochemicals as therapeutics, it is highly recommended that their precise target should be known; therefore studies should be encouraged such that the effects of these phytochemicals can be evaluated on the individual cellular level like how the phytochemical is targeting the tumor-associated macrophage, or any other cell residing in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the compound should target a specific component of TME to avoid off target effects.

PCL and PCL/bioactive glass biomaterials as carriers for biologically active polyphenolic compounds: Comprehensive physicochemical and biological evaluation

In this work, polymeric and bioactive glass (BG)-modified composite films were successfully loaded with polyphenols (PPh) extracted from sage. It was hypothesized that PPh, alone and in combination with BGs particles, would affect physicochemical and biological properties of the films. Furthermore, sol-gel-derived BG particles would serve as an agent for control the release of the polyphenolic compounds, and other important properties related to the presence of PPh. The results showed that polyphenolic compounds significantly modified numerous material properties and also acted as biologically active substances. On the one hand, PPh can be considered as plasticizers for PCL, on the other hand, they can act as coupling agent in composite materials, improving their mechanical performance. The presence of PPh in materials improved their hydrophilicity and apatite-forming ability, and also provided antioxidant activity. What is important is that the aforementioned properties and kinetics of PPh release can be modulated by the use of various concentrations of PPh, and by the modification of PCL matrix with sol-gel-derived BG particles, capable of binding PPh. The films containing the lowest concentration of PPh exhibited cytocompatibility, significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of bone extracellular matrix proteins (osteocalcin and osteopontin) in human normal osteoblasts, while they reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species production in macrophages. Furthermore, materials loaded with PPh showed antibiofilm properties against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The results suggest that obtained materials represent potential multifunctional biomaterials for bone tissue engineering with a wide range of tunable properties.

Phytochemicals in cancer and their effect on the PI3K/AKT-mediated cellular signalling

Protein kinases belong to the largest family of enzymes controlling every aspect of cellular activity including gene expression, cell division, differentiation and metabolism. They are part of major intracellular signalling pathways. Hence, it is not surprising that they are involved in the development of major diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, dementia and, most importantly, cancer when they undergo mutations, modifications and unbalanced expression. This review will explore the possibility to draw a connection between the application of natural phytochemicals and the treatment of cancer. We have chosen to focus on the PI3K/AKT cellular signalling pathway which has been shown to be a major target by natural compounds in cell cultures and animal models.

Ameliorative effects of colostrum against DMBA hepatotoxicity in rats

Colostrum, the sole diet for newborns, is an emerging nutraceutical. To date, the chemopreventive effect of Bovine Colostrum against liver injury induced by the potent carcinogen, 7,12-dimethyl-Benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) is unexplored. Humans are daily exposed to DMBA which is a highly lipophilic environmental organic pollutant. The study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective role of Bovine Colostrum against DMBA-induced hepatotoxicity using a rat model. Fifty male rats were divided into five groups; GI (control), GII (olive oil, vehicle for DMBA), GIII (DMBA), GIV (DMBA + Bovine Colostrum), GV (Bovine Colostrum). After 12 weeks, body weight changes and mortality were calculated. Histological and ultrastructural examinations of liver tissue were performed. Expressions of p53, TGFβ2, TNF-α, S6K2, and c20orf20 were assessed by RT-PCR. Post-treatment with Bovine Colostrum increased both the body weight and the survival rate of rats treated with DMBA. In addition, remarkable protection against the pathological effect of DMBA was noted. Ultrastructurally, Bovine Colostrum ameliorated/prevented most of the toxic effects of DMBA on hepatocytes, including irregularities of nuclear envelope, clumping, and margination of heterochromatin aggregates, segregated nucleoli, and mitochondrial pleomorphism. Bovine Colostrum administration down-regulated p53, C20orf20, and S6K2 mRNA levels, and up-regulated TNF-α and TGFβ2. In conclusion, Bovine Colostrum have a protective effect against DMBA-induced toxicity on the liver of albino rats. Consequently, Bovine Colostrum may prevent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-induced hepatotoxicity and may be useful in promoting human health if supplemented in the diet.

Preparation of Ethanol Extract of Propolis Loaded Niosome Formulation and Evaluation of Effects on Different Cancer Cell Lines

Propolis is a candidate for cancer treatment with its activity against different tumor cells and, has a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities due to the diversity of its components. In this study, antitumorigenic activities of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and ethanol extract of propolis loaded niosome (PLN) were compared using 2D and 3D cell culture. Niosome formulations were prepared by thin film hydration technique. Cell viability of EEP and PLN was analyzed on MCF7, A549, MDA-MB-231, SK-MEL, SK-BR-3, DU145 and L-929 cell lines using MTT assay. L929, MCF7 and A549 cells were cultured using the 3D petri dish technique and their spherical forms were obtained after 142 h. After 24 h, PLN and EEP application, cell viability analysis was performed on 3D cultures with WST assay. As a result, niosome formulations containing EEP showed higher activity than ethanol extract of propolis in cancer cells. While a slow decrease was observed in cell viability in EEP treated cancer cells, it was observed that the percentage viability rates decreased in a shorter time in PLN treated cancer cells. Also, PLN can be used as an anticancer activity drug such as Doxorubicin, but this is not the case for EEP.

Current Progress of Phytomedicine in Glioblastoma Therapy

Glioblastoma multiforme, an intrusive brain cancer, has the lowest survival rate of all brain cancers. The chemotherapy utilized to prevent their proliferation and propagation is limited due to modulation of complex cancer signalling pathways. These complex pathways provide infiltrative and drug evading properties leading to the development of chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, the development and discovery of such interventions or therapies that can bypass all these resistive barriers to ameliorate glioma prognosis and survival is of profound importance. Medicinal plants are comprised of an exorbitant range of phytochemicals that have the broad-spectrum capability to target intrusive brain cancers, modulate anti-cancer pathways and immunological responses to facilitate their eradication, and induce apoptosis. These phytocompounds also interfere with several oncogenic proteins that promote cancer invasiveness and metastasis, chemotherapy resistance and angiogenesis. These plants are extremely vital for promising anti-glioma therapy to avert glioma proliferation and recurrence. In this review, we acquired recent literature on medicinal plants whose extracts/bioactive ingredients are newly exploited in glioma therapeutics, and also highlighted their mode of action and pharmacological profile.

PLGA-Based Nano-Encapsulation of Trachyspermum Ammi Seed Essential Oil (TSEO-PNP) as a Safe, Natural, Efficient, Anticancer Compound in Human HT-29 Colon Cancer Cell Line

Colorectal cancer is a lethal and commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. To halt its burden more efficient targeted strategies are needed. Trachyspermum ammi seed essential oil (TSEO) contains several anticancer phytochemicals that maybe more effective via PLGA-based nano-encapsulation. TSEO-PNP nanoparticles were synthesized utilizing evaporation and ultra-sonication-based emulsification methods. Their size, morphology, and stability were defined by DLS, SEM, and surface zeta-potential data, respectively. The TSEO-PNP antioxidant apoptotic, cytotoxic, and antiangiogenic impacts on both cell lines (HT-29 and HUVEC) were studied by FRAP/ABTS, Q-PCR, MTT, and CAM assays, respectively. Moreover, further confirmatory measurements such as AO/EB fluorescent staining and flow cytometry analysis were performed to verify apoptosis. Stable (-32.42 mV) 206.21-nm TSEO-PNP induced apoptosis in the HT-29 cells. Apoptosis was confirmed by significant overexpression of apoptotic genes (Cas-9 and BAX), down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic (BCL-2) gene, fluorescent AO/EB staining, and flow cytometry data following increased TSEO-PNP treatment doses. TSEO-PNP exhibited a meaningful dose- and time-dependent cancer-specific cytotoxic impact on HT-29 cells. The TSEO-PNP has three main anticancer activities on HT-29 colon cancer cells including oxidant reduction, apoptosis induction, and angiogenesis suppression.

Enteromorpha compressa extract induces anticancer activity through apoptosis and autophagy in oral cancer

Marine algae are an auspicious source of innovative bioactive compounds containing possible therapeutic agents against mammalian cancers. However, the mechanism by which bioactive algal compounds exhibit anticancer activity against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is scant. The main objective of the current study was to explore the properties of the Enteromorpha compressa solvent extracts that induced autophagy and apoptosis with reference to their potent phytochemical and antioxidant properties. The presence of bioactive compounds were confirmed by UV and FT-IR spectroscopy. The free radical scavenging activity were analyzed by evaluating H₂O₂, DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl activity. The anticancer activities of the extracts were investigated by employing clonogenic and scratch assay. The apoptosis potential was evaluated by DAPI and MMP by Rh123 fluorescence assay. Moreover, the CAT, SOD, GPX, APX, and GR activities were measured. The autophagy potential was evaluated by LC3 puncta formation, acridine orange in addition to LysoTracker staining. The present investigation revealed that the methanolic extract of E. compressa elicited robust free radical scavenging activity that discerns its antiproliferative potency. Moreover, the methanolic algal extract boosted intrinsic apoptosis against OSCC by downregulating protective antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, it also revealed induction of autophagy to promote cell death in oral cancer cells. The presence of novel bioactive compounds in E. compressa has uncovered possible therapeutic value against OSCC by modulating antioxidant defense system, apoptosis and autophagy that could be used to explore very competent algal candidates for the development of potential alternative anticancer drugs.

Effects of oleuropein on tumor cell growth and bone remodelling: Potential clinical implications for the prevention and treatment of malignant bone diseases

Oleuropein (Ole) is the main bioactive phenolic compound present in olive leaves, fruits and olive oil. This molecule has been shown to exert beneficial effects on several human pathological conditions. In particular, recent preclinical and observational studies have provided evidence that Ole exhibits chemo-preventive effects on different types of human tumors. Studies undertaken to elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying these effects have shown that this molecule may thwart several key steps of malignant progression, including tumor cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, by modulating the expression and activity of several growth factors, cytokines, adhesion molecules and enzymes involved in these processes. Interestingly, experimental observations have highlighted the fact that most of these signalling molecules also appear to be actively involved in the homing and growth of disseminating cancer cells in bones and, ultimately, in the development of metastatic bone diseases. These findings, and the experimental and clinical data reporting the preventive activity of Ole on various pathological conditions associated with a bone loss, are indicative of a potential therapeutic role of this molecule in the prevention and treatment of cancer-related bone diseases. This paper provides a current overview regarding the molecular mechanisms and the experimental findings underpinning a possible clinical role of Ole in the prevention and development of cancer-related bone diseases.

Nanoformulations to Enhance the Bioavailability and Physiological Functions of Polyphenols

Polyphenols are micronutrients that are widely present in human daily diets. Numerous studies have demonstrated their potential as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, and for cancer prevention, heart protection and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, due to their vulnerability to environmental conditions and low bioavailability, their application in the food and medical fields is greatly limited. Nanoformulations, as excellent drug delivery systems, can overcome these limitations and maximize the pharmacological effects of polyphenols. In this review, we summarize the biological activities of polyphenols, together with systems for their delivery, including phospholipid complexes, lipid-based nanoparticles, protein-based nanoparticles, niosomes, polymers, micelles, emulsions and metal nanoparticles. The application of polyphenol nanoparticles in food and medicine is also discussed. Although loading into nanoparticles solves the main limitation to application of polyphenolic compounds, there are some concerns about their toxicological safety after entry into the human body. It is therefore necessary to conduct toxicity studies and residue analysis on the carrier.

Antiproliferative and apoptogenic effects of Cassia fistula L. n-hexane fraction against human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells

The current study was performed to evaluate the antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing potential of n-hexane fraction from Cassia fistula L. (Caesalpinioideae) fruits. The antiproliferative property of the fraction was determined by MTT assay against cancer cell lines including HeLa, MG-63, IMR-32, and PC-3 with GI50 value of 97.69, 155.2, 143, and 160.2 μg/ml respectively. The fraction was further explored for its apoptotic effect using confocal, SEM, and flow cytometry studies in HeLa cells. It was observed that the treatment of fraction revealed fragmentation of DNA, chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, and formation of apoptotic bodies in a dose-dependent manner. The fraction also showed a remarkable increase in the level of ROS, mitochondrial depolarization and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and induction in the phosphatidylserine externalization analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay in HeLa cells. Kaempferol, Ellagic acid, and Epicatechin are the major phytoconstituents present in the fraction as revealed by the HPLC. The treatment of n-hexane fraction showed downregulation in the gene expression of Bcl-2 and upregulation in the expression level of p53, Bad, and caspase-3 genes analyzed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR in HeLa cells. These results suggest that n-hexane fraction from C. fistula inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells efficiently by the induction of apoptosis. Graphical abstract.

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) Induced Apoptosis in Serous Ovarian Cancer OV7 Cells by Deregulation of BCL2/BAX Genes

Ovarian cancer has the worst prognosis among all gynecological cancers. Therefore, it seems reasonable to seek new drugs that may improve the effectiveness of treatment or mitigate the adverse effects of chemotherapy. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) has many beneficial biological properties. The aim of the study was to assess the anticancer properties of CAPE against serum ovarian carcinoma cells. The morphology of the cells was evaluated in H-E staining and in transmission electron microscopy. The cytotoxic and proapoptotic activity of CAPE was investigated by using the XTT-NR-SRB assay, qRT-PCR analysis of BAX/BCL2 expression, and by cytometric evaluation. CAPE causes constriction in OV7 cells, numerous granulomas were observed in the cytoplasm, the cell nuclei were pyknotic. Autophagosomal vacuoles could suggest the occurrence of aponecrosis. CAPE significantly decreased the lysosomal activity and the total synthesis of cellular proteins. CAPE exhibited, dose and time dependent, cytotoxic activity against OV7 serum ovarian cancer cells. In OV7 cells CAPE induced apoptosis via dysregulation of BAX/BCL2 balance, while activated proapoptotic BAX gene expression level was 10 times higher than BCL2.

Beyond the Paclitaxel and Vinca Alkaloids: Next Generation of Plant-Derived Microtubule-Targeting Agents with Potential Anticancer Activity

Plants are an important source of chemically diverse natural products that target microtubules, one of the most successful targets in cancer therapy. Colchicine, paclitaxel, and vinca alkaloids are the earliest plant-derived microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs), and paclitaxel and vinca alkaloids are currently important drugs used in the treatment of cancer. Several additional plant-derived compounds that act on microtubules with improved anticancer activity are at varying stages of development. Here, we move beyond the well-discussed paclitaxel and vinca alkaloids to present other promising plant-derived MTAs with potential for development as anticancer agents. Various biological and biochemical aspects are discussed. We hope that the review will provide guidance for further exploration and identification of more effective, novel MTAs derived from plant sources.

Curcumin-A Viable Agent for Better Bladder Cancer Treatment

Although the therapeutic armamentarium for bladder cancer has considerably widened in the last few years, severe side effects and the development of resistance hamper long-term treatment success. Thus, patients turn to natural plant products as alternative or complementary therapeutic options. One of these is curcumin, the principal component of Curcuma longa that has shown chemopreventive effects in experimental cancer models. Clinical and preclinical studies point to its role as a chemosensitizer, and it has been shown to protect organs from toxicity induced by chemotherapy. These properties indicate that curcumin could hold promise as a candidate for additive cancer treatment. This review evaluates the relevance of curcumin as an integral part of therapy for bladder cancer.

Structure-Activity-Relationship and Mechanistic Insights for Anti-HIV Natural Products

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which chiefly originatesfroma retrovirus named Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), has impacted about 70 million people worldwide. Even though several advances have been made in the field of antiretroviral combination therapy, HIV is still responsible for a considerable number of deaths in Africa. The current antiretroviral therapies have achieved success in providing instant HIV suppression but with countless undesirable adverse effects. Presently, the biodiversity of the plant kingdom is being explored by several researchers for the discovery of potent anti-HIV drugs with different mechanisms of action. The primary challenge is to afford a treatment that is free from any sort of risk of drug resistance and serious side effects. Hence, there is a strong demand to evaluate drugs derived from plants as well as their derivatives. Several plants, such as Andrographis paniculata, Dioscorea bulbifera, Aegle marmelos, Wistaria floribunda, Lindera chunii, Xanthoceras sorbifolia and others have displayed significant anti-HIV activity. Here, weattempt to summarize the main results, which focus on the structures of most potent plant-based natural products having anti-HIV activity along with their mechanisms of action and IC50 values, structure-activity-relationships and important key findings.

Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and Apoptosis-Inducing Efficacy of Fractions from Cassia fistula L. Leaves

: Cassia fistula L. is a highly admirable traditional medicinal plant used for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. The present study was performed to divulge the antioxidant, antiproliferative, and apoptosis-inducing efficacy of fractions from C. fistula leaves. The hexane (CaLH fraction), chloroform (CaLC fraction), ethyl acetate (CaLE fraction), n-butanol (CaLB fraction), and aqueous (CaLA fraction) were sequentially fractionated from 80% methanolic (CaLM extract) of C. fistula leaves. The CaLE fraction was fractionated using column chromatography to yield a pure compound, which was characterized as Epiafzelechin (CFL1) based on 1H, 13C, and DEPT135 NMR. Among these fractions, CaLE and isolated CFL1 fractions exhibited an effective antioxidant potential in Ferric ion reducing power, (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline -6-sulfonic acid)) cation radical scavenging, and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays. Epiafzelechin was investigated for its antiproliferative effects against MG-63 (osteosarcoma), IMR-32 (neuroblastoma), and PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma), and was found to inhibit cell proliferation with a GI50 value of 8.73, 9.15, and 11.8 μM respectively. MG-63 cells underwent apoptotic cell death on treatment with Epiafzelechin as the cells showed the formation of apoptotic bodies, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization along with an increase in early apoptotic cell population analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay. Cells showed cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase accompanied by a downregulation in the expression levels of p-Akt (Protein kinase B), p-GSK-3β (Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta), and Bcl-xl (B-cell lymphoma-extra large) proteins. RT-PCR (Real time-polymerase chain reaction) analysis revealed downregulation in the gene expression level of β-catenin and CDK2 (cyclin-dependent kinases-2) while it upregulated the expression level of caspase-8 and p53 genes in MG-63 cells.

Rosmarinus plants: Key farm concepts towards food applications

Rosmarinus species are aromatic plants that mainly grow in the Mediterranean region. They are widely used in folk medicine, food, and flavor industries and represent a valuable source of biologically active compounds (e.g., terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids). The extraction of rosemary essential oil is being done using three main methods: carbon dioxide supercritical extraction, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation. Furthermore, interesting antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, anthelmintic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and antiamnesic effects have also been broadly recognized for rosemary plant extracts. Thus the present review summarized data on economically important Rosmarinus officinalis species, including isolation, extraction techniques, chemical composition, pharmaceutical, and food applications.

Cancer Glycolytic Dependence as a New Target of Olive Leaf Extract

Oleuropein (Ole), the main bioactive phenolic component of Olea europaea L. has recently attracted the scientific attention for its several beneficial properties, including its anticancer effects. This study is intended to investigate whether an olive leaf extract enriched in Ole (OLEO) may counteract the aerobic glycolysis exploited by tumor cells. We found that OLEO decreased melanoma cell proliferation and motility. OLEO was also able to reduce the rate of glycolysis of human melanoma cells without affecting oxidative phosphorylation. This reduction was associated with a significant decrease of glucose transporter-1, protein kinase isoform M2 and monocarboxylate transporter-4 expression, possible drivers of such glycolysis inhibition. Extending the study to other tumor histotypes, we observed that the metabolic effects of OLEO are not confined to melanoma, but also confirmed in colon carcinoma, breast cancer and chronic myeloid leukemia. In conclusion, OLEO represents a natural product effective in reducing the glycolytic metabolism of different tumor types, revealing an extended metabolic inhibitory activity that may be well suited in a complementary anti-cancer therapy.

Shikonin induces colorectal carcinoma cells apoptosis and autophagy by targeting galectin-1/JNK signaling axis

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most common malignant tumor pathology worldwide. Despite progress in surgical procedures and therapy options, CRC is still a considerable cause of cancer-related mortality. In this study, we tested the antitumor effects of shikonin in CRC and tried to identify its potential mechanism. The potential target, molecular mechanism as well as in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of shikonin in CRC cells were determined by an integrative protocol including quantitative proteomics, RT-PCR, western blotting, RNA interference and overexpression, apoptosis and autophagy assays, etc. Galectin-1 was a potential target of shikonin from the iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis in shikonin-treated SW620 cell. The overexpression and RNA silencing of galectin-1 in two CRC cells suggested that the shikonin sensitivity was correlation to galectin-1 levels. The ROS accumulation induced by shikonin was important to the formation of galectin-1 dimers. Dimer galectin-1 was found to be associated with the activation of JNK and downstream apoptosis or autophagy. Moreover, through functional in vitro studies, we showed that differences in galectin-1 level affected tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In summary, shikonin induced CRC cells apoptosis and autophagy by targeting galectin-1 and JNK signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo, which suggested a potential novel therapy target for CRC.

Anticancer effects of olive oil polyphenols and their combinations with anticancer drugs

Cancer presents one of the leading causes of death in the world. Current treatment includes the administration of one or more anticancer drugs, commonly known as chemotherapy. The biggest issue concerning the chemotherapeutics is their toxicity on normal cells and persisting side effects. One approach to the issue is chemoprevention and the other one is the discovery of more effective drugs or drug combinations, including combinations with polyphenols. Olive oil polyphenols (OOPs), especially hydroxytyrosol (HTyr), tyrosol (Tyr) and their derivatives oleuropein (Ole), oleacein and oleocanthal (Oc) express anticancer activity on different cancer models. Recent studies report that phenolic extract of virgin olive oil may be more effective than the individual phenolic compounds. Also, there is a growing body of evidence about the combined treatment of OOPs with various anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin, tamoxifen, doxorubicin and others. These novel approaches may present an advanced strategy in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Liposomal Cytarabine as Cancer Therapy: From Chemistry to Medicine

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The main modality to fight against cancer is surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and more recently targeted therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy, which play important roles in treating cancer patients. In the last decades, chemotherapy has been well developed. Nonetheless, administration of the drug is not always successful, as limited drug dosage can reach the tumor cells.. In this context, the possibility to use an encapsulated anti-cancer drug may potentially solve the problem. Liposomal cytarabine is a formulation with pronounced effectiveness in lymphomatous meningitis and reduced cardiotoxicity if compared to liposomal anthracyclines. Thus, the future liposomal cytarabine use could be extended to other diseases given its reduction in cytotoxic side effects compared to the free formulation. This review summarizes the chemistry and biology of liposomal cytarabine, with exploration of its clinical implications.

miR-217 inhibits the migration and invasion of HeLa cells through modulating MAPK1

MicroRNA (miR)-217 serves a pivotal role in the progression of colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma and glioma, however, the role of miR-217 in cervical cancer (CC) remains unclear. In the present study, the mechanism of miR-217 in cervical cancer was explored. The mRNA expression of miR-217 and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Cell Counting-Kit 8, wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to detect cell viability, migration and invasion, respectively. Apoptosis and cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry. TargetScan 7.2 and dual-luciferase reporter assays were respectively used to determine miR-217 target genes and their binding capacities. The protein expression levels of MAPK1, phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)/ERK1/2, Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were quantified by western blotting. It was found that miR-217 was downregulated in patients with CC and in CC cells. The viability, migration and invasion of cells were suppressed by a miR-217 mimic. It was also found that apoptosis was increased and cell cycle was inhibited by the miR-217mimic, which was supported by changes in Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3. MAPK1 was upregulated in patients with CC and was a target gene of miR-217. MAPK1 reversed the inhibition of miR-217 on cell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis. The protein levels of MAPK1 and p-ERK1/2, which were higher in the mimic MAPK1 group than those in the control or mimic groups, were ameliorated by PD98059. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-217 had an anti-CC effect and may be effectively used in the treatment of CC.

Momordica charantia, a Nutraceutical Approach for Inflammatory Related Diseases

Momordica charantia, commonly called bitter melon, is a plant belonging to Cucurbitaceae family known for centuries for its pharmacological activities, and nutritional properties. Due to the presence of many bioactive compounds, some of which possess potent biological actions, this plant is used in folk medicine all over the world for the treatment of different pathologies, mainly diabetes, but also cancer, and other inflammation-associated diseases. It is widely demonstrated that M. charantia extracts contribute in lowering glycaemia in patients affected by type 2 diabetes. However, the majority of existing studies on M. charantia bioactive compounds were performed only on cell lines and in animal models. Therefore, because the real impact of bitter melon on human health has not been thoroughly demonstrated, systematic clinical studies are needed to establish its efficacy and safety in patients. Besides, both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that bitter melon may also elicit toxic or adverse effects under different conditions. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic properties of bitter melon, discussing its pharmacological activity as well as the potential adverse effects. Even if a lot of literature is available about bitter melon as antidiabetic drug, few papers discuss the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties of this plant.

Palmatine from Unexplored Rutidea parviflora Showed Cytotoxicity and Induction of Apoptosis in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

Ovarian cancer ranks amongst the deadliest cancers in the gynaecological category of cancers. This research work aims to evaluate in vitro anti-ovarian cancer activities and identify phytochemical constituents of a rarely explored plant species—Rutidea parviflora DC. The aqueous and organic extracts of the plant were evaluated for cytotoxicity using sulforhodamine B assay in four ovarian cancer cell lines and an immortalized human ovarian epithelial (HOE) cell line. The bioactive compounds were isolated and characterized by gas/liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Caspase 3/7 activity assay, western blotting and flow cytometry were carried out to assess apoptotic effects of active compounds. The extracts/fractions of R. parviflora showed promising anti-ovarian cancer activities in ovarian cancer cell lines. A principal cytotoxic alkaloid was identified as palmatine whose IC₅₀ was determined as 5.5–7.9 µM. Palmatine was relatively selective towards cancer cells as it was less cytotoxic toward HOE cells, also demonstrating interestingly absence of cross-resistance in cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells. Palmatine further induced apoptosis by increasing caspase 3/7 activity, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage, and annexin V and propidium iodide staining in OVCAR-4 cancer cells. Our studies warranted further investigation of palmatine and R. parviflora extracts in preclinical models of ovarian cancer.