Chemopreventive role of arabinoxylan rice bran, MGN-3/Biobran, on liver carcinogenesis in rats

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound as a natural product for cancer treatment - an evidence-based assessment of the effects and mechanisms

CONTEXT

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is a natural immunomodulator with anticancer properties.

OBJECTIVE

This study critically evaluates the available evidence on the biological pathways of RBAC and its effects on cancer treatment.

METHODS

This secondary analysis of a scoping review includes studies evaluating the mechanisms of RBAC on healthy or malignant cells, animal models, or humans for cancer prevention or treatment. Data from randomized controlled trials on survival and quality of life outcomes were subjectd to meta analysis.

RESULTS

The evidence synthesis was based on 38 articles. RBAC exhibited antitumor properties by promoting apoptosis and restoring immune function in cancer patients to enhance inflammatory and cytotoxic responses to block tumorigenesis. RBAC works synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents by upregulating drug transport. In a clinical trial, combining RBAC with chemoembolization in treating liver cancer showed improved response, reduced recurrence rates, and prolonged survival. RBAC also augments the endogenous antioxidant system to prevent oxidative stress and protect against radiation side effects. In addition, RBAC has chemoprotective effects. Animals and humans have exhibited reduced toxicity and side effects from chemotherapy. Meta analysis indicates that RBAC treatment increases the survival odds by 4.02-times (95% CI: 1.67, 9.69) in the first year and 2.89-times (95% CI: 1.56, 5.35) in the second year.

CONCLUSION

RBAC is a natural product with immense potential in cancer treatment. Additional research is needed to characterize, quantify, and standardize the active ingredients in RBAC responsible for the anticancer effects. More well-designed, large-scale clinical trials are required to substantiate the treatment efficacies further.

Polysaccharides extracted from tucum-do-cerrado fruits (Bactris setosa Mart) have antineoplastic effects in mice while preserving hepatic gluconeogenesis

This study investigated the antitumoral, anti-inflammatory and oxidative effects of polysaccharides from tucum (Bactris setosa, TUC) using the Ehrlich carcinoma as a tumor model. Additionally, the glycogen content, cytochrome P levels, and gluconeogenesis from lactate were assessed in the liver of healthy animals. Tumor-bearing female mice were orally treated with 50 and 100 mg.kg-1 of TUC or vehicle, once a day, or with 1.5 mg.kg-1 methotrexate via i.p., every 3 days, along 21 days. Both doses of TUC reduced the tumor weight and volume. In the tumor tissue, it decreased GSH and IL-1β levels, and increased LPO, NAG, NO and TNF-α levels. The tumor histology showed necrosis and leukocytes infiltration. The metabolic effects of TUC were investigated by measurement of total cytochrome P (CYP) and glycogen in tumor-bearing mice, and by ex vivo liver perfusion on non-bearing tumor male mice, using lactate as gluconeogenic precursor. Metabolically, the hepatic glucose and pyruvate productions, oxygen uptake, and the total CYP concentration were not modified by TUC. Thus, tucum-do-cerrado polysaccharides have antitumor effects through the modulation of oxidative stress and inflammation, without impairing glucose production from lactate in the liver, the main organ responsible for the metabolism of organic and xenobiotic compounds.

Genome-wide association study and linkage mapping reveal TaqW-6B associated with water-extractable arabinoxylan content in wheat grain

KEY MESSAGE

A novel QTL, TaqW-6B of water-extractable arabinoxylan content in the wheat grain on chromosome 6BL was identified and fine mapped in a narrow region 3.8 Mb. Water-extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX), an important component of hemicellulose, is associated with various abundant health benefits. In this study, QTLs for WE-AX content were detected in two populations: (1) a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 164 lines derived from a cross between Avocet and Chilero (AC population) genotyped with diversity array technology (DArT), and (2) a natural population of 243 varieties (CH population) genotyped with the Axiom wheat 660 K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. A stable QTL Qwe-ax.haust-6B, explaining 8.51-15.59% of the phenotypic variance, was mapped in the physical interval 459.38-572.09 Mb on the long arm of chromosome 6B in the AC population, tightly linked with DArT markers 3,944,740 and 4,991,038 under three experimental conditions. The Qwe-ax.haust-6B was further narrowed down to be delimited in the physical interval 516.47-571.58 Mb on chromosome 6BL, explaining 5.86-16.27% of the phenotypic variance in the CH population. Furthermore, we developed high-throughput kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers to reconstruct the genetic linkage map in the AC population, and Qwe-ax.haust-6B was fine mapped into a narrow region named TaqW-6B, which was compressed between KASP-6B-3 and KASP-6B-6 at a physical distance of 3.8 Mb. In the meanwhile, the markers were also validated in a natural population of 160 wheat lines (NP population). Consequently, this study is of great importance to provide the theoretical basis for cloning the key gene and developing functional markers for molecular breeding.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of bagasse xylan derivatives modified by graft-esterification and cross-linking

A crucial aspect in achieving sustainable development of biomass materials is the modification of renewable polysaccharides to create various high-value functional materials. In this paper, bagasse xylan (BX) was used as a raw material to introduce benzyl methacrylate (BMA) through graft copolymerization reaction to generate the intermediate product BX-g-BMA. Subsequently, the target product (CA-BX-g-BMA) was synthesized by catalytic esterification of BX-g-BMA with citric acid (CA) in AmimCl ionic liquid. Meanwhile, the characterization and bioactivity studies of CA-BX-g-BMA were carried out. The graft copolymerization and esterification reactions induced significant changes in the morphological structure of BX and obviously improved its thermal stability and crystallinity. The application of density functional theory (DFT), molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and molecular docking has revealed that CA-BX-g-BMA possesses multiple active sites, strong biological activity and a strong binding affinity to 6RCF tumor protein with a binding energy of -32.26 kJ/mol. The in vitro antitumor activity of this novel derivative was tested by MTT assay, and the results showed that CA-BX-g-BMA was non-toxic to normal cells and inhibited MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells) by up to 32.16 % ± 4.89 %, which is approximately 11 times higher than that of BX. The exploration of these properties is essential to promote future multidisciplinary applications of BX derivatives.

Is there any hepatic impact associated with rice bran arabinoxylan compound supplementation? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound (RBAC) results from an enzymatic modification of rice bran, which is reported to have immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the hepatic adverse effects of RBAC by assessing the effect through liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST).

METHODS

In the present study, the Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, and Scopus databases were searched for relevant publications from the beginning to October 2022. The meta-analysis was based on the Mixed effect model to generate the mean effect sizes in weighted mean differences (WMD) and the 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Chi-squared test, and the analysis of Galbraith plots was applied.

RESULTS

Subgroup meta-analysis on five eligible randomized controlled trials (n = 239) showed a significant decrease in serum AST regarding RBAC supplementation in powder form (WMD (95%CI) = -3.52 (-5.62, -1.42) U/L; P-value = 0.001, I2 (%) = 46.9; P heterogeneity = 0.170), three months and more supplementation duration (WMD (95%CI) = -3.71 (-5.95, -1.48) U/L; P-value = 0.001, I2 (%) = 29.9; P heterogeneity = 0.240) and studies with a good quality (WMD (95%CI) = -3.52 (-5.62, -1.42) U/L; P-value = 0.001, I2 (%) = 46.9; P heterogeneity = 0.170).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, RBAC supplementation seems to not have any hepatic adverse effects and its supplementation as powder or for three months and more may decrease serum AST levels. However, we need further studies to confirm the results.

REGISTRY NUMBER FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OR META-ANALYZES

CRD42022361002, registration time: 29/09/2022.

Modified rice bran arabinoxylan as a nutraceutical in health and disease-A scoping review with bibliometric analysis

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is a polysaccharide modified by Lentinus edodes mycelial enzyme widely used as a nutraceutical. To explore translational research on RBAC, a scoping review was conducted to synthesise research evidence from English (MEDLINE, ProQuest, CENTRAL, Emcare, CINAHL+, Web of Science), Japanese (CiNii, J-Stage), Korean (KCI, RISS, ScienceON), and Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang) sources while combining bibliometrics and network analyses for data visualisation. Searches were conducted between September and October 2022. Ninety-eight articles on RBAC and the biological activities related to human health or disease were included. Research progressed with linear growth (median = 3/year) from 1998 to 2022, predominantly on Biobran MGN-3 (86.73%) and contributed by 289 authors from 100 institutions across 18 countries. Clinical studies constitute 61.1% of recent articles (2018 to 2022). Over 50% of the research was from the USA (29/98, 29.59%) and Japan (22/98, 22.45%). A shifting focus from immuno-cellular activities to human translations over the years was shown via keyword visualisation. Beneficial effects of RBAC include immunomodulation, synergistic anticancer properties, hepatoprotection, antiinflammation, and antioxidation. As an oral supplement taken as an adjuvant during chemoradiotherapy, cancer patients reported reduced side effects and improved quality of life in human studies, indicating RBAC's impact on the psycho-neuro-immune axis. RBAC has been studied in 17 conditions, including cancer, liver diseases, HIV, allergy, chronic fatigue, gastroenteritis, cold/flu, diabetes, and in healthy participants. Further translational research on the impact on patient and community health is required for the evidence-informed use of RBAC in health and disease.

Rice Bran: From Waste to Nutritious Food Ingredients

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a principal food for more than half of the world's people. Rice is predominantly consumed as white rice, a refined grain that is produced during the rice milling process which removes the bran and germ and leaves the starchy endosperm. Rice bran is a by-product produced from the rice milling process, which contains many bioactive compounds, for instance, phenolic compounds, tocotrienols, tocopherols, and γ-oryzanol. These bioactive compounds are thought to protect against cancer, vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Extraction of rice bran oil also generates various by-products including rice bran wax, defatted rice bran, filtered cake, and rice acid oil, and some of them exert bioactive substances that could be utilized as functional food ingredients. However, rice bran is often utilized as animal feed or discarded as waste. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the role of rice bran in metabolic ailments. The bioactive constituents and food product application of rice bran were also highlighted in this study. Collectively, a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism and the role of these bioactive compounds exerted in the rice bran would provide a useful approach for the food industry and prevent metabolic ailments.

Encapsulation of Polyphenolic Compounds Based on Hemicelluloses to Enhance Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Colorectal Cancer

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are difficult to cure, and available treatment is associated with troubling side effects. In addition, current therapies have limited efficacy and are characterized by high costs, and a large segment of the IBD and CRC patients are refractive to the treatment. Moreover, presently used anti-IBD therapies in the clinics are primarily aimed on the symptomatic control. That is why new agents with therapeutic potential against IBD and CRC are required. Currently, polyphenols have received great attention in the pharmaceutical industry and in medicine due to their health-promoting properties. They may exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-cancer activity, via inhibiting production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes or factors associated with carcinogenesis (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases, vascular endothelial growth factor), suggesting they may have therapeutic potential against IBD and CRC. However, their use is limited under both processing conditions or gastrointestinal interactions, reducing their stability and hence their bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Therefore, there is a need for more effective carriers that could be used for encapsulation of polyphenolic compounds. In recent years, natural polysaccharides have been proposed for creating carriers used in the synthesis of polyphenol encapsulates. Among these, hemicelluloses are particularly noteworthy, being characterized by good biocompatibility, biodegradation, low immunogenicity, and pro-health activity. They may also demonstrate synergy with the polyphenol payload. This review discusses the utility and potential of hemicellulose-based encapsulations of polyphenols as support for treatment of IBD and CRC.

Advances in extraction, purification, structural characteristics and biological activities of hemicelluloses: A review

Hemicelluloses, a major component of plant cell walls, are a non-cellulosic heteropolysaccharide composed of several distinct sugars that is second in abundance to cellulose, which are one of the most abundant and cheapest renewable resources on earth. Hemicelluloses structure is complex and its chemical structure varies greatly among the different plant species. In addition to its wide use in production of feed and other chemical materials, hemicelluloses are known for its remarkable biological activities that remain largely underutilised to date. Therefore, comprehensive investigations of hemicelluloses structural and biological properties would be helpful for achieving rational utilisation and high-value conversion of this underutilised substance into agents with enhanced health benefits for incorporation in drugs and health foods. In this review, details of diverse research initiatives that have enhanced our understanding of hemicelluloses properties are summarised, including hemicelluloses sources, extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics and biological activities. Furthermore, hemicelluloses structure-activity relationships and new directions for future hemicelluloses research studies are discussed.

Recent Developments in Molecular Characterization, Bioactivity, and Application of Arabinoxylans from Different Sources

Arabinoxylan (AX) is a polysaccharide composed of arabinose, xylose, and a small number of other carbohydrates. AX comes from a wide range of sources, and its physicochemical properties and physiological functions are closely related to its molecular characterization, such as branched chains, relative molecular masses, and substituents. In addition, AX also has antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antitumor, and proliferative abilities for intestinal probiotic flora, among other biological activities. AXs of various origins have different molecular characterizations in terms of molecular weight, degree of branching, and structure, with varying structures leading to diverse effects of the biological activity of AX. Therefore, this report describes the physical properties, biological activities, and applications of AX in diverse plants, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for future research on AX as well as provide more options for crop breeding.

Natural Products for Liver Cancer Treatment: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Primary liver cancer was the seventh most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death with about 906,000 cases and 830,000 deaths, respectively, in 2020. Conventional treatment for liver cancer, such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or sorafenib, has limitations in that there is the recurrence of cancer, drug inefficacy, and adverse effects. Traditional medicine and natural products of several regions including Korea, China, Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East have attracted a lot of attention since they have been reported to have anticancer effects with low adverse effects. In this review, several in vivo studies on the effects of natural compounds on liver cancer and clinical trials approving their therapeutic benefits were selected and discussed. As a result of the analysis of these studies, the effects of natural compounds were classified into a few mechanisms: apoptosis, anti-metastasis, and antiangiogenesis. In addition, medications including natural products in clinical trials were observed to exhibit improvements in various liver cancer symptoms and patients’ survival rates. This study presents findings suggestive of the anticancer potential of natural products and their properties in relieving related symptoms.

Synthesis, Characterization and Bioactivity Evaluation of a Novel Nano Bagasse Xylan/Andrographolide Grafted and Esterified Derivative

In the in-depth research that has been conducted on nanometer biomaterials, how to use the biomass resources with high activity and low toxicity to prepare nanomaterials for biomedical applications has attracted much attention. To realize efficient and comprehensive utilization of biomass, bagasse xylan/andrographolide (BX/AD) was ued as a raw material and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) as an esterification agent to synthesize bagasse xylan/andrographolide esterified derivative (GA-BX/AD). Then, the bagasse xylan/andrographolide grafted and esterified derivative (GA-BX/AD-g-IA) was synthesized by the graft crosslinking reactions using itaconic acid (IA) as graft monomer. The better synthesis conditions were optimized by single factor experiments, the degree of esterification substitution (DS) was 0.43, and the grafting rate (G) of the product reached 42%. The structure and properties of the product were characterized by FTIR, XRD, DTG, SEM, and ¹H NMR. The results showed that the product morphology was significantly changed, and the nanoparticles were spherical with a particle size of about 100 nm. The anti-cancer activity of the product was measured. The molecular docking simulations revealed that the product had good docking activity with human glucocorticoid protein (6CFN) with a binding free energy of 14.38 kcal/mol. The MTT assay showed that the product had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of human liver cancer cells (BEL-7407) and gastric cancer cells (MGC80-3), with inhibition ratio of 38.41 ± 5.32% and 32.69 ± 4.87%. Therefore, this nanomaterial is expected to be applied to the development and utilization of drug carriers and functional materials.

Protective rules of natural antioxidants against gamma-induced damage-A review

Phytochemicals accessible in food have demonstrated efficiency against impairment by gamma radiation. The review presented here is an attempt to show the pharmacological outline of the activity of the natural antioxidants and its primary action of molecular mechanism against the damage induced by gamma rays. This research focused on the results of the in vitro dosage of natural antioxidants relationship, and on the correlation of this information with the statistical variables. Moreover, it deliberated the natural compounds which could decrease the unwelcome impacts of gamma radiation and safeguard biological systems from radiation-stimulated genotoxicity. The outcomes indicated that natural compounds can be utilized as an adjunct to orthodox radiotherapy and cultivate it as an effectual drug for the clinical administration of ailments.

Molecular modification, structural characterization, and biological activity of xylans

The differences in the source and structure of xylans make them have various biological activities. However, due to their inherent structural limitations, the various biological activities of xylans are far lower than those of commercial drugs. Currently, several types of molecular modification methods have been developed to address these limitations, and many derivatives with specific biological activity have been obtained. Further research on structural characteristics, structure-activity relationship and mechanism of action is of great significance for the development of xylan derivatives. Therefore, the major molecular modification methods of xylans are introduced in this paper, and the primary structure and conformation characteristics of xylans and their derivatives are summarized. In addition, the biological activity and structure-activity relationship of the modified xylans are also discussed.

The Apoptotic Effect of Trichinella spiralis Infection Against Experimentally Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer. Prognosis of HCC remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, developing new therapeutic modalities is still mandatory. Tumor biotherapy is a novel concept developed as a therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. There is a similarity between the regulatory mechanism of Trichinella spiralis nurse cell formation and tumor cell apoptosis signal regulation.

OBJECTIVES

Induction of apoptosis by T. spiralis can represent a new strategy for tumor treatment.

METHODS

Experimental animals were divided in four groups; negative control (GI), T. spiralis infected (GII), induced HCC (GIII) and HCC then infected with T. spiralis (GIV). The apoptotic effect of T. spiralis infection was assessed by histopathological and immunohistochemical staining of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2).

RESULTS

We found higher survival rate of rats and decreased weight of their livers with no nodules in HCC- T. spiralis group as compared to HCC group. Improvement of the dysplastic changes and increased apoptotic bodies which was confirmed by decreased expression of Bcl-2 reported in HCC- T. spiralis group.

CONCLUSION

Trichinella-induced apoptosis can be a contributing mechanism of the anti-tumor effect of T. spiralis infection. Our results showed a certain level of decreased progression of the tumor in HCC-T. spiralis group as indicated by increased rate of apoptosis and subsequently had a positive impact on the survival of rats.
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Carcinogenesis: Failure of resolution of inflammation?

Inflammation in the tumor microenvironment is a hallmark of cancer and is recognized as a key characteristic of carcinogens. However, the failure of resolution of inflammation in cancer is only recently being understood. Products of arachidonic acid and related fatty acid metabolism called eicosanoids, including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, lipoxins, and epoxyeicosanoids, critically regulate inflammation, as well as its resolution. The resolution of inflammation is now appreciated to be an active biochemical process regulated by endogenous specialized pro-resolving lipid autacoid mediators which combat infections and stimulate tissue repair/regeneration. Environmental and chemical human carcinogens, including aflatoxins, asbestos, nitrosamines, alcohol, and tobacco, induce tumor-promoting inflammation and can disrupt the resolution of inflammation contributing to a devastating global cancer burden. While mechanisms of carcinogenesis have focused on genotoxic activity to induce mutations, nongenotoxic mechanisms such as inflammation and oxidative stress promote genotoxicity, proliferation, and mutations. Moreover, carcinogens initiate oxidative stress to synergize with inflammation and DNA damage to fuel a vicious feedback loop of cell death, tissue damage, and carcinogenesis. In contrast, stimulation of resolution of inflammation may prevent carcinogenesis by clearance of cellular debris via macrophage phagocytosis and inhibition of an eicosanoid/cytokine storm of pro-inflammatory mediators. Controlling the host inflammatory response and its resolution in carcinogen-induced cancers will be critical to reducing carcinogen-induced morbidity and mortality. Here we review the recent evidence that stimulation of resolution of inflammation, including pro-resolution lipid mediators and soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors, may be a new chemopreventive approach to prevent carcinogen-induced cancer that should be evaluated in humans.

Protective Effect of Biobran/MGN-3 against Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model: Possible Role of Oxidative Stress and Apoptotic Pathways

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating and irreversible brain disease that affects an increasing number of aged individuals, mandating the development of protective nutraceuticals. Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan from rice bran, has potent antioxidant, antiaging, and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of Biobran against sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD). SAD was induced in mice via intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (3 mg/kg). STZ-treated mice were administered with Biobran for 21 days. The effects of Biobran on memory and learning were measured via the Morris water maze, novel object recognition, and Y-maze tests. Biomarkers for apoptosis, oxidative stress, and amyloidogenesis were measured using ELISA and western blot analysis. Histopathological examination was performed to confirm neuronal damage and amyloid-beta deposition. Biobran reversed the spatial memory deficit in SAD-induced mice, and it increased the expression of glutathione, reduced malondialdehyde, decreased IL-6, decreased intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and significantly increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and antioxidant response element (ARE). Moreover, Biobran exerted a protective effect against amyloid-beta-induced apoptosis via the suppression of both cleaved caspase-3 and the proapoptotic protein Bax and via the upregulation of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Furthermore, it reduced the expression of forkhead box class O proteins. It could be concluded from this study that Biobran may be a useful nutritional antioxidant agent for protection against SAD through its activation of the gene expression of Nrf2/ARE, which in turn modulates the apoptotic and amyloidogenic pathways.