Effect of Gambogenic Acid on Cytochrome P450 1A2, 2B1 and 2E1, and Constitutive Androstane Receptor in Rats

Unveiling Gambogenic Acid as a Promising Antitumor Compound: A Review

Gambogenic acid is a derivative of gambogic acid, a polyprenylated xanthone isolated from Garcinia hanburyi. Compared with the more widely studied gambogic acid, gambogenic acid has demonstrated advantages such as a more potent antitumor effect and less systemic toxicity than gambogic acid according to early investigations. Therefore, the present review summarizes the effectiveness and mechanisms of gambogenic acid in different cancers and highlights the mechanisms of action. In addition, drug delivery systems to improve the bioavailability of gambogenic acid and its pharmacokinetic profile are included. Gambogenic acid has been applied to treat a wide range of cancers, such as lung, liver, colorectal, breast, gastric, bladder, and prostate cancers. Gambogenic acid exerts its antitumor effects as a novel class of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitors. It prevents cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and necroptosis and controlling the cell cycle as well as autophagy. Gambogenic acid also hinders tumor cell invasion and metastasis by downregulating metastasis-related proteins. Moreover, gambogenic acid increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy and has shown effects on multidrug resistance in malignancy. This review adds insights for the prevention and treatment of cancers using gambogenic acid.

Role of gambogenic acid in regulating PI3K/Akt/NF-kβ signaling pathways in rat model of acute hepatotoxicity

The purpose of this study is to investigate the protective effect of gambogenic acid (GA) in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity in rat models. GA (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneal (i.p.) to rats for 7 consecutive days followed by APAP (500 mg/kg) single dose (i.p.) on the final day after GA administration. The levels of MDA, GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, ALP, AST, ALT, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), apoptosis markers (caspase-3 and -9, Bax, Bcl-2), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were evaluated. Results exhibited protective effects of GA by inhibiting inflammation, preventing oxidative stress and apoptosis in APAP-induced liver. Histopathological changes caused by APAP were attenuated, protein expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) were upregulated, and nuclear factor-kappa β (NF-kβ) was downregulated by GA. In summary, GA significantly exerted anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity potentially through regulation of PI3K/Akt and NF-kβ signaling pathways.