Galangin and TRAIL cooperate to suppress A549 lung cancer proliferation via apoptosis and p38 MAPK activation

Crosstalk between xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibiting and cancer chemotherapeutic properties of comestible flavonoids- a comprehensive update

Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by metabolic disorder or genetic inheritance. People throughout the world are strongly dependent on ethnomedicine for the treatment of gout and some receive satisfactory curative treatment. The natural remedies as well as established drugs derived from natural sources or synthetically made exert their action by mechanisms that are closely associated with anticancer treatment mechanisms regarding inhibition of xanthine oxidase, feedback inhibition of de novo purine synthesis, depolymerization and disappearance of microtubule, inhibition of NF-ĸB activation, induction of TRAIL, promotion of apoptosis, and caspase activation and proteasome inhibition. Some anti-gout and anticancer novel compounds interact with same receptors for their action, e.g., colchicine and colchicine analogues. Dietary flavonoids, i.e., chrysin, kaempferol, quercetin, fisetin, pelargonidin, apigenin, luteolin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, phloretinetc etc. have comparable IC₅₀ values with established anti-gout drug and effective against both cancer and gout. Moreover, a noticeable number of newer anticancer compounds have already been isolated from plants that have been using by local traditional healers and herbal practitioners to treat gout. Therefore, the anti-gout plants might have greater potentiality to become selective candidates for screening of newer anticancer leads.

Analysis of Galangin and Its In Vitro/In Vivo Metabolites via Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Galangin, a naturally available flavonoid, induces a variety of pharmacological activities and biological effects via several mechanisms. However, in vivo metabolism of galangin has not been fully explored, which means knowledge of its pharmacodynamics and application potential is limited. The objective of this study was to establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for the rapid profiling and identification of galangin metabolites in vitro and in vivo using unique online information-dependent acquisition with multiple mass defect filtering combined with dynamic background subtraction in positive ion mode. A total of 27 metabolites were detected and characterized, among which eight metabolites in liver microsomes and four metabolites in intestinal microflora were characterized, and 27 metabolites from rat plasma, bile, urine, feces, and a number of different tissue samples were characterized. Thirteen major metabolic pathways including hydrogenation, hydroxylation, glycosylation, methylation, acetylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation were observed to be attributable to the biotransformation of the metabolites. This study provides evidence for the presence of in vitro and in vivo metabolites and the pharmacokinetic mechanism of galangin. Moreover, the study promotes the further development and utilization of galangin and the plant from which it is derived, Alpinia officinarum Hance.

A comprehensive review on chemotherapeutic potential of galangin

Galangin, a non-toxic phytochemical is known to possess several therapeutic applications. Mounting evidences have demonstrated that galangin a naturally available flavonoid exerts anticancer effects via several mechanisms. The phytocompound induces apoptosis and renders antiangiogenic property. Additionally, galangin has demonstrated significate results in combating various cancer types when administered in combination with other phytocompounds or with gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The present article is a critical review of galangin for its treatment on different types of cancer and its usability as an alternative cancer therapeutics.

Galangin loaded galactosylated pluronic F68 polymeric micelles for liver targeting

Galangin possess wide range of pharmacological activities including antiarthritic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer especially in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its biological use has been limited owing to its poor aqueous solubility, P-gp efflux and rapid in vivo metabolism by cytochrome enzymes. In order to address the drawbacks of galangin, the current work was designed with an objective to prepare liver targeted galangin loaded galactosylated pluronic F68 polymeric (GF68-Gal) micelles. Galactosylated pluronic F68 copolymer was successfully synthesized usi reduction amination method and used for micelle preparation. The prepared micelles were evaluated for micelle size, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, in vitro galangin release and in vivo biodistribution. The average size of GF68-Gal micelles was found to be around 242±4.6 nm with an entrapment efficiency of about 77.5± 0.34% w/w. In vitro dissolution profile of GF68-Gal micelles revealed controlled release of galangin. Further, biodistribution studies of GF68-Gal micelles showed significant improvement in the amount of galangin in liver at 15 min (around 2.6 folds) and after 30 min (around 7.18 folds) as compared to galangin solution. Such significant increase in galangin amount in the liver for GF68-Gal micelles could be attributed to their efficient targeting to the liver by galactose moieties having affinity towards ASGPR receptor, P-gp and cytochrome enzyme inhibition activity of pluronic F68 reducing the rate of metabolism and in turn elimination. Thus, galactosylated pluronic F68 copolymer can act as a promising carrier system for improving liver targeting of hydrophobic drugs susceptible to P-gp efflux and cytochrome enzyme associated metabolism.

A review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Alpinia officinarum Hance

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Alpinia officinarum Hance is a perennial plant that has been traditionally used for many decades to treat several ailments including inflammation, pain, stomach-ache, cold, amongst others. Pharmacological studies over the years have demonstrated remarkable bioactivities that could be further explored for development of new therapeutic agents against various ailments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The paper critically reviewed the ethno-medicinal uses, pharmacology, and phytochemistry of A. officinarum.

METHODS

Keywords including A. officinarum and its synonyms were searched using electronic databases including ISI web of knowledge, Science direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar and relevant database for Masters and Doctoral theses.

RESULTS

A. officinarum is prepared in Asia, Turkey, Morocco and Iran as a decoction, infusion or juice as a single preparation or in combination with other herbs, food or drinks for the treatment of general health problems including cold, inflammation, digestive disorders, etc. Pharmacological studies revealed the potent in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of various parts of A. officinarum that include anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, homeostasis, lipid regulation, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, antiosteoporosis, etc. Over 90 phytochemical constituents have been identified and isolated from A. officinarum comprising vastly of phenolic compounds especially diarylheptanoids isolated from the rhizome and considered the most active bioactive components.

CONCLUSION

In vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the potency of A. officinarum. However, further studies are required to establish the mechanisms mediating its bioactivities in relation to the medicinal uses as well as investigating any potential toxicity for future clinical studies.

Volatile oil from alpinia officinarum promotes lung cancer regression in vitro and in vivo

The anti-lung cancer activity of volatile oil from Alpinia officinarum (VOAO) and the underlying mechanism has been studied. VOAO could be an effective, low cytotoxicity candidate for lung cancer intervention.

Galangin enhances TGF-β1-mediated growth inhibition by suppressing phosphorylation of threonine 179 residue in Smad3 linker region

Smad3 linker phosphorylation is a candidate target for several kinases that play important roles in cancer cell initiation, proliferation and progression. Also, Smad3 is an essential intracellular mediator of TGF-β1-induced transcriptional responses during carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is highly advantageous to identify and develop inhibitors targeting Smad3 linker phosphorylation for the treatment of cancers. Galangin (3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) has been known to be an active flavonoid showing a cytotoxic effect on several cancer cells. However, the mechanism of action of galangin in various cancers remains unclear, and there has been no report concerning regulation of Smad3 phosphorylation by galangin. In the present study, we show that galangin significantly induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in the presence of TGF-β1 in both human prostate and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Particularly, galangin effectively inhibits phosphorylation of the Thr-179 site at Smad3 linker region through suppression of CDK4 phosphorylation. Thus, galangin can be a promising candidate as a selective inhibitor to suppress phosphorylation of Smad3 linker region.