Curcumin induces apoptosis through caspase dependent pathway in human colon carcinoma cells

Inhibitory Effects of Royal Jelly and Its Functional Components on the Proliferation of MKN-28 Gastric Cancer Cells

Royal jelly (RJ) is a natural food product with nutritional value and anticancer activity. However, their effects on gastric cancer are unclear. Here, we show that treatment with 5-320 μg/mL of RJ, ethanol extract (RJEE), and protein hydrolyzate (RJPH) decreased the viability of MKN-28 gastric cancer cells, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 123.22 μg/mL for RJEE. RJ, RJEE, and RJPH increase the lactate dehydrogenase release rate and change the morphology of the cells, resulting in cell shrinkage, nucleoplasm condensation, and the formation of apoptotic bodies. RJ and its functional components stagnated the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase, accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased expression levels of p53 and p21 proteins, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis. Therefore, RJ, RJEE, and RJPH have potential inhibitory effects on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells.

Synergistic Mechanisms of Selected Polyphenols in Overcoming Chemoresistance and Enhancing Chemosensitivity in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Despite significant advances in medical treatment, chemotherapy as monotherapy can lead to substantial side effects and chemoresistance. This underscores the need for therapeutic approaches that are not only pharmacologically safe but also modulate multiple potent signaling pathways and sensitize cancer cells to overcome resistance to standard drugs. In recent years, scientists have been searching for natural compounds that can be used as chemosensitizers in addition to conventional medications for the synergistic treatment of CRC. Polyphenols represent a diverse group of natural compounds that can target multiple signaling pathways in cancer cells to induce anti-cancer effects. Additionally, polyphenols have been shown to work synergistically with chemotherapeutics and other natural compounds in cancer cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the synergistic mechanisms of selected polyphenols as chemosensitizers in CRC cells. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to fully harness the synergistic mechanisms of selected polyphenols combined with chemotherapy or natural compounds in improving cancer treatment outcomes.

Study of Therapeutic Mechanisms of Bupi Yichang Formula against Colon Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology, Machine Learning, and Experimental Verification

Bupi Yichang formula (BPYCF) has shown the anti-cancer potential; however, its effects on colon cancer and the mechanisms remain unknown. This study intended to explore the effects of BPYC on colon cancer and its underlying mechanisms. BPYCF-related and colon cancer-related targets were acquired from public databases, followed by differentially expressed genes (DEG) identification. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed using clusterProfiler. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING database. CytoHubba and MCODE to screen the hub targets. A diagnostic model was built using random forest algorithm. Molecular docking was conducted using PyMOL and AutoDock. High-performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis and in vitro validation were performed. Forty-six overlapping targets of BPYCF-related, colon cancer-related targets, and DEGs were obtained. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the targets were mainly enriched in response to lipopolysaccharide, neuronal cell body, protein serine/threonine/tyrosine, as well as C-type lectin receptor, NOD-like receptor, and TNF signaling pathways. Five targets were identified as the pivotal targets, among which, NOS3, CASP8, RIPK3, and TNFRSF10B were stably docked with the core active component, naringenin. Naringenin was also identified from the BPYCF sample through HPLC-MS analysis. In vitro experiments showed that BPYCF inhibited cell viability, reduced NOS3 expression, and elevated CASP8, RIPK3, and TNFRSF10B expression in colon cancer cells. BPYCF might treat colon cancer mainly by regulating NOS3, CASP8, RIPK3, and TN-FRSF10B. This study first revealed the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of BPYCF against colon cancer, paving the path for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for this cancer in the clinic.

Nanocurcumin attenuates pyroptosis and inflammation through inhibiting NF-κB/GSDMD signal in high altitude-associated acute liver injury

Exposure to a hypobaric hypoxic environment at high altitudes can lead to liver injury, and mounting evidence indicates that pyroptosis and inflammation play important roles in liver injury. Curcumin (Cur) can inhibit pyroptosis and inflammation. Therefore, our purpose here was to clarify the mechanism underlying the protective effect of nanocurcumin (Ncur) and Cur in a rat model of high altitude-associated acute liver injury. Eighty healthy rats were selected and exposed to different altitudes (6000 or 7000 m) for 0, 24, 48, or 72 h. Fifty normal healthy rats were divided into normal control, high-altitude control, salidroside (40 mg/kg [Sal-40]), Cur (200 mg/kg [Cur-200]), and Ncur (25 mg/kg [Ncur-25]) groups and exposed to a high-altitude hypobaric hypoxic environment (48 h, 7000 m). Serum-liver enzyme activities (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase were detected and histopathology of liver injury was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and inflammatory factors were detected in liver tissues by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Pyroptosis-associated proteins (gasdermin D, gasdermin D N-terminal [GSDMD-N], pro-Caspase-1, and cleaved-Caspase-1 [cleaved-Casp1]) and inflammation-associated proteins (nuclear factor-κB [NF-κB], phospho-NF-κB [P-NF-κB], and high-mobility group protein B1 [HMGB1]) levels were analyzed by immunoblotting. Ncur and Cur inhibited increased serum-liver enzyme activities, alleviated liver injury in rats caused by high-altitude hypobaric hypoxic exposure, and downregulated inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-18, in rat liver tissues. The level of P-NF-κB, GSDMD-N, cleaved-Casp1, and HMGB1 in rat liver tissues increased significantly after high-altitude exposure. Ncur and Cur downregulated P-NF-κB, GSDMD-N, cleaved-Casp-1, and HMGB1. Ncur and Cur may inhibit inflammatory responses and pyroptosis in a rat model of high altitude-associated acute liver injury.

The role of curcumin on apoptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis on colorectal cancer in vitro

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Many factors such as stress, lifestyle, and dietary habits are known to play a role in the initiation and progression of the disease. Herbal therapeutic agents including curcumin can hold a great potential against cancer treatment; however, their efficacy on CRC is still under investigation. Herein, we evaluated the anticancer mechanism of curcumin on four different CRC cell lines.

METHODS

Cells were treated with curcumin for 24, 48 and 72 h, and IC50 doses for each cell line were calculated. Mechanistic studies were conducted with the lowest IC50 dose determined for each cell line by evaluating apoptosis and necrosis, cell division, and NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

RESULTS

Curcumin treatment significantly decreased viability while increasing the SubG1 phase in all cell lines tested, indicating apoptosis is the main programmed cell death pathway activated upon curcumin treatment in CRC. In terms of pyroptosis, components of NLRP3 inflammasome were found to be elevated in SW480 and HCT116 cell lines, although to a lesser extent in the latter, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation was not observed in LoVo and HT29 cells.

DISCUSSION

Our results reveal that while curcumin effectively induces apoptosis, its effects on NLRP3-inflammasome mediated pyroptosis vary. Our results underline the need for further research focusing on the other inflammasome complexes to confirm the differential effects of curcumin on CRC.

Resveratrol, Epigallocatechin Gallate and Curcumin for Cancer Therapy: Challenges from Their Pro-Apoptotic Properties

Plant-derived bioactive compounds are gaining wide attention for their multiple health-promoting activities and in particular for their anti-cancer properties. Several studies have highlighted how they can prevent cancer initiation and progression, improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and, in some cases, limit some of the side effects of chemotherapy agents. In this paper, we provide an update of the literature on the anti-cancer effects of three extensively studied plant-derived compounds, namely resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, and curcumin, with a special focus on the anti-cancer molecular mechanisms inducing apoptosis in the major types of cancers globally.

Phytotherapy in Integrative Oncology-An Update of Promising Treatment Options

Modern phytotherapy is part of today's conventional evidence-based medicine and the use of phytopharmaceuticals in integrative oncology is becoming increasingly popular. Approximately 40% of users of such phytopharmaceuticals are tumour patients. The present review provides an overview of the most important plants and nature-based compounds used in integrative oncology and illustrates their pharmacological potential in preclinical and clinical settings. A selection of promising anti-tumour plants and ingredients was made on the basis of scientific evidence and therapeutic practical relevance and included Boswellia, gingko, ginseng, ginger, and curcumin. In addition to these nominees, there is a large number of other interesting plants and plant ingredients that can be considered for the treatment of cancer diseases or for the treatment of tumour or tumour therapy-associated symptoms. Side effects and interactions are included in the discussion. However, with the regular and intended use of phytopharmaceuticals, the occurrence of adverse side effects is rather rare. Overall, the use of defined phytopharmaceuticals is recommended in the context of a rational integrative oncology approach.