A carotenoid-enriched extract from pumpkin delays cell proliferation in a human chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell line through the modulation of autophagic flux

Carotenoids from Different Pumpkin Varieties Exert a Cytotoxic Effect on Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells

Plants, including pumpkins (Cucurbita spp.), are an interesting source of nutrients and bioactives with various health benefits. In this research, carotenoid extracts obtained from the pulp of eight pumpkin varieties, belonging to the C. moschata and C. maxima species, were tested for cytotoxicity on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The results showed that pumpkin bioactives exert a cytotoxic action against the tested cells, in particular Butternut extract at a 100 μM (53.69 μg/mL) concentration after 24 h of treatment and Mantovana extract at 50 μM (26.84 μg/mL) after 48 h. Moreover, the carotenoid extracts also showed interesting in vitro antioxidant activity, evaluated by ABTS and ORAC assays. To fully characterize the qualitative and quantitative profile of carotenoids in the tested extracts, a high-performance chromatographic technique was performed, revealing that pumpkin pulp carotenoids were mainly represented by β-carotene, mono- and di-esterified hydroxy- and epoxy-carotenoids. Moreover, the carotenoid dataset was also useful for discriminating samples from two different species. In conclusion, the results of the present study highlight the potential anti-cancer activity of pumpkin carotenoid extracts and the possibility of using them as chemotherapeutic adjuvants.

Agro-Industrial By-Products of Plant Origin: Therapeutic Uses as well as Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity

The importance of bioactive compounds in agro-industrial by-products of plant origin lies in their direct impacts on human health. These compounds have been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, contributing to disease prevention and strengthening the immune system. In particular, the antimicrobial action of these compounds emerges as an important tool in food preservation, providing natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives and contributing to combating antimicrobial resistance. Using agro-industrial by-products of plant origin not only addresses the need to reduce waste and promote sustainability but also inaugurates a new era in the formulation of functional foods. From fruit peels to pulps and seeds, these by-products are emerging as essential ingredients in the creation of products that can promote health. Continued research in this area will unveil new applications and properties of these by-products and open doors to a food paradigm in which health and sustainability converge, paving the way to a healthier and more equitable future. The present review presents an overview of our knowledge of agro-industrial by-products and some of their more relevant health-promoting bioactivities.

Screening of Cu4 O3 NPs efficacy and its anticancer potential against cervical cancer

Cu4 O3 is the least explored copper oxide, and its nanoformulation is anticipated to have important therapeutic potential especially against cancer. The current study aimed to biosynthesize Cu4 O3 nanoparticles (NPs) using an aqueous extract of pumpkin seeds and evaluate its antiproliferative efficacy against cervical cells after screening on different cancer cell lines. The obtained NPs were characterized by different spectroscopic analyses, such as UV-vis, thermogravimetric, energy dispersive X-ray, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, high-resolution transmission electron microscopes (HR-TEM) were used to observe the morphology of the biosynthesized NPs. The UV-vis spectra showed a peak at around 332 nm, confirming the formation of Cu4 O3 NPs. Moreover, FTIR and TAG analyses identified the presence of various bioactive phytoconstituents that might have worked as capping and stabilization agents and comparative stable NPs at very high temperatures, respectively. The HR-TEM data showed the spherical shape of Cu4 O3 NPs in the range of 100 nm. The Cu4 O3 NPs was screened on three different cancer cell lines viz., Hela, MDA-MB-231, and HCT-116 using cytotoxicity (MTT) reduction assay. In addition, Vero was taken as a normal epithelial (control) cell. The high responsive cell line in terms of least IC50 was further assessed for its anticancer potential using a battery of biological tests, including morphological alterations, induction of apoptosis/ROS generation, regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and suppression of cell adhesion/migration. Vero cells (control) showed a slight decline in % cell viability even at the highest tested Cu4 O3 NPs concentration. However, all the studied cancer cells viz., MDA-MB-231, HCT 116, and HeLa cells showed a dose-dependent decline in cell viability after the treatment with Cu4 O3 NPs with a calculated IC50 value of 10, 11, and 7.2 µg/mL, respectively. Based on the above data, Hela cells were chosen for further studies, that showed induction of apoptosis from 3.5 to 9-folds by three different staining techniques acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB), 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and propidium iodide (PI). The enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (>3.5-fold), modulation in MMP, and suppression of cell adhesion/migration were observed in the cells treated with Cu4 O3 NPs. The current study obtained the significant antiproliferative potential of Cu4 O3 NPs against the cervical cancer cell line, which needs to be confirmed further in a suitable in vivo model. Based on our results, we also recommend the green-based, eco-friendly, and cost-effective alternative method for synthesizing novel nanoformulation.

The ability of supercritical CO2 carrot and pumpkin extracts to counteract inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS or MDA-MB-231 cell-conditioned media

Supercritical fluid extraction with CO2 (SFE) is an alternative technology to conventional solvent extraction (CSE), to obtain food-grade bioactives from plants. Here, SFE and CSE extracts from carrot and pumpkin matrices, impregnated with hempseed or flaxseed oil as co-solvents, were characterized by HPLC and GC-MS, and their ability to counteract the inflammatory and oxidative phenomena underlying the onset of several pathologies was assessed in vitro. All extracts showed dose-dependent anti-inflammatory potential and demonstrated an ability to interfere with the pro-inflammatory effects of breast cancer cell-conditioned media, and to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and nitrite production (NP) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. Nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is involved in these response mechanisms, as highlighted by the increased mRNA levels of its target genes revealed by quantitative real-time PCR analyses. NP and ROS concentrations negatively correlated with α-tocopherol and most carotenoids, but positively with the total tocopherol/total carotenoid ratio, suggesting an idiosyncratic effect of these bioactives on cell responses and emphasizing the need to focus on extract constituents' interactions.

The role of SF3B1 and NOTCH1 in the pathogenesis of leukemia

The discovery of new genes/pathways improves our knowledge of cancer pathogenesis and presents novel potential therapeutic options. For instance, splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1) and NOTCH1 genetic alterations have been identified at a high frequency in hematological malignancies, such as leukemia, and may be related to the prognosis of involved patients because they change the nature of malignancies in different ways like mediating therapeutic resistance; therefore, studying these gene/pathways is essential. This review aims to discuss SF3B1 and NOTCH1 roles in the pathogenesis of various types of leukemia and the therapeutic potential of targeting these genes or their mutations to provide a foundation for leukemia treatment.

Carotenoid-Enriched Nanoemulsions and γ-Rays Synergistically Induce Cell Death in a Novel Radioresistant Osteosarcoma Cell Line

We previously demonstrated that SAOS human osteosarcoma cells, incubated with carotenoid-enriched nanoemulsions (CEN), activated a nonprotective form of autophagy and delayed cell proliferation. The present work focuses on the biological effects of CEN on a derivative of SAOS cells named SAOS400, recently described for their radiation resistance and higher expression of therapy-induced senescence (TIS) markers. SAOS400 cells, incubated with CEN, activated a “cytostatic” form of autophagy confirmed by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and increased expression of autophagic proteins. Treatment of SAOS400 cells with CEN also resulted in decreased expression of the senescence marker p16INK4. However, when SAOS400 cells were γ-irradiated in combination with CEN, the threshold for cell death was reached (>60% after 96 h). We showed that this type of cell death corresponded to ‘cytotoxic’ or ‘lethal’ autophagy and that the combined treatment of CEN plus γ-rays was synergistic, with the combination index < 1. Since CEN contained β-carotene, the pure compound was used in SAOS400 cells at the same concentration present in CEN and up to 10 times higher. However, no radio-sensitizing effect of β-carotene was observed, suggesting that the biological effect of CEN was due to less abundant but more bioactive molecules, or to the synergistic activity of multiple components present in the extracts, confirming the functional pleiotropy of natural extracts enriched in bioactive molecules.

Therapeutic Role of Carotenoids in Blood Cancer: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential

Blood cancers are characterized by pathological disorders causing uncontrolled hematological cell division. Various strategies were previously explored for the treatment of blood cancers, including chemotherapy, Car-T therapy, targeting chimeric antigen receptors, and platelets therapy. However, all these therapies pose serious challenges that limit their use in blood cancer therapy, such as poor metabolism. Furthermore, the solubility and stability of anticancer drugs limit efficacy and bio-distribution and cause toxicity. The isolation and purification of natural killer cells during Car-T cell therapy is a major challenge. To cope with these challenges, treatment strategies from phyto-medicine scaffolds have been evaluated for blood cancer treatments. Carotenoids represent a versatile class of phytochemical that offer therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of cancer, and specifically blood cancer. Carotenoids, through various signaling pathways and mechanisms, such as the activation of AMPK, expression of autophagy biochemical markers (p62/LC3-II), activation of Keap1-Nrf2/EpRE/ARE signaaling pathway, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), increased level of reactive oxygen species, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (c-PARP), c-caspase-3, -7, decreased level of Bcl-xL, cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, and decreasing STAT3 expression results in apoptosis induction and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. This review article focuses the therapeutic potential of carotenoids in blood cancers, addressing various mechanisms and signaling pathways that mediate their therapeutic efficacy.

Tomato Oil Encapsulation by α-, β-, and γ-Cyclodextrins: A Comparative Study on the Formation of Supramolecular Structures, Antioxidant Activity, and Carotenoid Stability

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are oligosaccharides, comprising 6 (α), 7 (β), or 8 (γ) glucose residues, used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions and improve oil stability towards degradation. In this research, the aptitude of α-, β-, and γ-CDs to form complexes with a supercritical CO₂ extracted lycopene-rich tomato oil (TO) was comparatively assessed. TO/CD emulsions and the resulting freeze-dried powders were characterized by microscopy, Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as for their antioxidant activity. Furthermore, carotenoid stability was monitored for 90 days at 25 and 4 °C. Confocal and SEM microscopy revealed morphological differences among samples. α- and β-CDs spontaneously associated into microcrystals assembling in thin spherical shells (cyclodextrinosomes, Ø ≈ 27 µm) at the oil/water interface. Much smaller (Ø ≈ 9 µm) aggregates were occasionally observed with γ-CDs, but most TO droplets appeared "naked". FTIR and DSC spectra indicated that most CDs did not participate in TO complex formation, nevertheless structurally different interfacial complexes were formed. The trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) activity of emulsions and powders highlighted better performances of α- and β-CDs as hydrophobic antioxidants-dispersing agents across aqueous media. Regardless of CDs type, low temperature slowed down carotenoid degradation in all samples, except all-[E]-lycopene, which does not appear efficiently protected by any CD type in the long storage period.