Xanthorrhizol induced DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells involving Bcl-2 family proteins

Progress of natural sesquiterpenoids in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors of digestive tract, which seriously threatens the life of patients due to its high incidence rate, strong invasion, metastasis, and prognosis. At present, the main methods for preventing and treating HCC include medication, surgery, and intervention, but patients frequently encounter with specific adverse reactions or side effects. Many Traditional Chinese medicine can improve liver function, reduce liver cancer recurrence and have unique advantages in the treatment of HCC because of their acting mode of multi-target, multi-pathway, multi-component, and multi-level. Sesquiterpenoids, a class of natural products which are widely present in nature and exhibit good anti-tumor activity, and many of them possess good potential for the treatment of HCC. This article reviewed the anti-tumor activities, natural resources, pharmacological mechanism of natural sesquiterpenoids against HCC, providing the theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of HCC and a comprehensive understanding of their potential for development of new clinical drugs.

Xanthorrhizol Suppresses Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Induced Angiogenesis by Modulating Akt/eNOS Signaling and the NF-[Formula: see text]B-Dependent Expression of Cell Adhesion Molecules

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated endothelial cell proliferation and migration are critical steps in tumor angiogenesis. Here, we investigated the anti-angiogenic activity of xanthorrhizol, a sesquiterpenoid isolated from the Indonesian medicinal plant Curcuma xanthorrhiza. Xanthorrhizol at noncytotoxic concentrations inhibited the proliferation, migration, and formation of capillary-like tubes in VEGF-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Xanthorrhizol inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and E-selectin in VEGF-treated HUVECs. The expression and transcriptional activity of NF-[Formula: see text]B were downregulated by xanthorrhizol in VEGF-treated HUVECs. Furthermore, xanthorrhizol significantly inhibited VEGF-induced angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane of fertilized eggs and Matrigel plugs subcutaneously injected into mice. Xanthorrhizol inhibited tumor volume and tumor-derived angiogenesis in mice inoculated with breast cancer cells. The in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic activities of xanthorrhizol were as potent as those of curcumin, a well-known anticancer agent derived from C. longa. Taken together, xanthorrhizol inhibits VEGF-induced angiogenesis of endothelial cells by blocking the activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS axis and subsequent upregulation of adhesion molecules induced by the transcriptional activation of NF-[Formula: see text]B. Xanthorrhizol is a promising anti-angiogenic agent and can serve as a beneficial agent to enhance anticancer treatments.

Comprehensive computational target fishing approach to identify Xanthorrhizol putative targets

Xanthorrhizol (XNT), is a bioactive compound found in Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. This study aimed to determine the potential targets of the XNT via computational target fishing method. This compound obeyed Lipinski's and Veber's rules where it has a molecular weight (MW) of 218.37 gmol^-1, TPSA of 20.23, rotatable bonds (RBN) of 4, hydrogen acceptor and donor ability is 1 respectively. Besides, it also has half-life (HL) values 3.5 h, drug-likeness (DL) value of 0.07, oral bioavailability (OB) of 32.10, and blood-brain barrier permeability (BBB) value of 1.64 indicating its potential as therapeutic drug. Further, 20 potential targets were screened out through PharmMapper and DRAR-CPI servers. Co-expression results derived from GeneMANIA revealed that these targets made connection with a total of 40 genes and have 744 different links. Four genes which were RXRA, RBP4, HSD11B1 and AKR1C1 showed remarkable co-expression and predominantly involved in steroid metabolic process. Furthermore, among these 20 genes, 13 highly expressed genes associated with xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, chemical carcinogenesis and steroid metabolic pathways were identified through gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis. In conclusion, XNT is targeting multiple proteins and pathways which may be exploited to shape a network that exerts systematic pharmacological effects.

Herbal and Natural Dietary Products: Upcoming Therapeutic Approach for Prevention and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The most common tumor linked with elevated death rates is considered the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), sometimes called the malignant hepatoma. The initiation and progression of HCC are triggered by multiple factors like long term alcohol consumption, metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease, hepatitis B and C infection, age, and oxidative stress. Sorafenib is the merely US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug used to treat HCC. Several treatment methods are available for HCC therapy such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and adjuvant therapy but they often lead to several side effects. Yet these treatment methods are not entirely adequate due to the increasing resistance to the drug and their toxicity. Many natural products help to prevent and treat HCC. A variety of pathways are associated with the prevention and treatment of HCC with herbal products and their active components. Accumulating research shows that certain natural dietary compounds are possible source of hepatic cancer prevention and treatments, such as black currant, strawberries, plum, grapes, pomegranate, cruciferous crops, tomatoes, French beans, turmeric, garlic, ginger, asparagus, and many more. Such a dietary natural products and their active constituents may prevent the production and advancement of liver cancer in many ways such as guarding against liver carcinogens, improving the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic medications, inhibiting the growth, metastasis of tumor cells, reducing oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. The present review article represents hepatic carcinoma etiology, role of herbal products, their active constituents, and dietary natural products for the prevention and treatment of HCC along with their possible mechanisms of action.

Anti-cancer properties of specific Chinese herbal medicines for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

AIMS

This essay explores the anti-cancer activity of specific Chinese herbal medicines to clarify how effective Chinese herbal medicine is used for handling hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

Literature form publica domain were studied and an analysis of anti-cancer activity of specific Chinese herbal medicines is presented in this review.

RESULTS

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most dangerous malignant tumors in the world. The operative diagnosis of liver cancer remains a significant challenge. Although surgery tissue resection is encouraging, a high risk of recurrence and metastasis, illustrating disease-related mortality is desperately required to enhance postoperative preventive and therapeutic clinical procedures. The almost only effective clinical intervention seems to be developing advanced targeted therapies such as sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma patients, but there is little research in this field. Because their preventative/therapeutic properties strengthen Chinese herbal medicinal compounds, they are deemed relevant to the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion: Chinese herbal medicine derivates provide multifaceted, orientated and orchestrated therapy, making it an ideal candidate for inhibiting hepatocellular tumor production and metastasis.

Herbal management of hepatocellular carcinoma through cutting the pathways of the common risk factors

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered the most frequent tumor that associated with high mortality rate. Several risk factors contribute to the pathogenesis of HCC, such as chronic persistent infection with hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus, chronic untreated inflammation of liver with different etiology, oxidative stress and fatty liver disease. Several treatment protocols are used in the treatment of HCC but they also associated with diverse side effects. Many natural products are helpful in the co-treatment and prevention of HCC. Several mechanisms are involved in the action of these herbal products and their bioactive compounds in the prevention and co-treatment of HCC. They can inhibit the liver cancer development and progression in several ways as protecting against liver carcinogens, enhancing effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, inhibiting tumor cell growth and metastasis, and suppression of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the utility of diverse natural products in the prevention and co-treatment of HCC, through its capturing of the common risk factors known to lead to HCC and shed the light on their possible mechanisms of action. Our theory assumes that shutting down the risk factor to cancer development pathways is a critical strategy in cancer prevention and management. We recommend the use of these plants side by side to recent chemical medications and after stopping these chemicals, as a maintenance therapy to avoid HCC progression and decrease its global incidence.

Chemical constituents and biological research on plants in the genus Curcuma

Curcuma, a valuable genus in the family Zingiberaceae, includes approximately 110 species. These plants are native to Southeast Asia and are extensively cultivated in India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Peru, Australia, and the West Indies. The plants have long been used in folk medicine to treat stomach ailments, stimulate digestion, and protect the digestive organs, including the intestines, stomach, and liver. In recent years, substantial progress has been achieved in investigations regarding the chemical and pharmacological properties, as well as in clinical trials of certain Curcuma species. This review comprehensively summarizes the current knowledge on the chemistry and briefly discusses the biological activities of Curcuma species. A total of 720 compounds, including 102 diphenylalkanoids, 19 phenylpropene derivatives, 529 terpenoids, 15 flavonoids, 7 steroids, 3 alkaloids, and 44 compounds of other types isolated or identified from 32 species, have been phytochemically investigated. The biological activities of plant extracts and pure compounds are classified into 15 groups in detail, with emphasis on anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities.

Cervicare™ induces apoptosis in HeLa and CaSki cells through ROS production and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential

The effect of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Cervicare™, a poly-herbal preparation comprised of the combination of 6 plants, on cell proliferation and apoptosis using cervical cancer HeLa and CaSki cells was investigated for the first time in the present study.

Xanthorrhizol: a review of its pharmacological activities and anticancer properties

Xanthorrhizol (XNT) is a bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid compound extracted from Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. It has been well established to possess a variety of biological activities such as anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, antiplatelet, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects. Since many synthetic drugs possess toxic side effects and are unable to support the increasing prevalence of disease, there is significant interest in developing natural product as new therapeutics. XNT is a very potent natural bioactive compound that could fulfil the current need for new drug discovery. Despite its importance, a comprehensive review of XNT's pharmacological activities has not been published in the scientific literature to date. Here, the present review aims to summarize the available information in this area, focus on its anticancer properties and indicate the current status of the research. This helps to facilitate the understanding of XNT's pharmacological role in drug discovery, thus suggesting areas where further research is required.

Therapeutic Effect of Supercritical CO2 Extracts of Curcuma Species with Cancer Drugs in Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Lines

Synergistic effect of supercritical CO2 extracts of Curcuma species with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs was investigated in human alveolar (SJRH30) and embryonal (RD) rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. The Curcuma amada (mango ginger) (CA) extract showed the highest levels of cytotoxicity with inhibitory concentration IC50 values of 7.133 µg/ml and 7.501 µg/ml for SJRH30 and RD cell lines, respectively, as compared with Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Curcuma xanthorrhiza (Javanese turmeric) extracts. CA showed synergistic cytotoxic effects with vinblastine (VBL) and cyclophosphamide (CP) as indicated by the combination index values of <1 for VBL + CA, CP + CA, and VBL + CP + CA combinations in both embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. When lower doses of CA (0.1-0.2 µg/ml) were combined with cancer drugs like CP and VBL, caspase-3 activity increased significantly compared with individual agents and correlated with the percentage of apoptotic cells. CA in combination with VBL and CP induced a higher percentage of apoptosis than single agents in both cell lines. CA also modulated the expression of genes associated with intrinsic pathway of apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bax, Bak, and p53) and also inhibited the expression of genes associated with inflammation such as COX-2 and NF-κB. Xenograft studies with SJRH30 tumors in nude mice showed that CA treatment inhibited tumor growth rate with and without VBL and increased the survival rate significantly. These results suggest that CA can be evaluated further as an adjuvant with cancer drugs for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.