Chemopreventive effects of embelin and curcumin against N-nitrosodiethylamine/phenobarbital-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Wistar rats

A comprehensive review of phytoconstituents in liver cancer prevention and treatment: targeting insights into molecular signaling pathways

Primary liver cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary liver cancer that usually affects adults. Liver cancer is a fatal global condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite advances in technology, the mortality rate remains alarming. There is growing interest in researching alternative medicines to prevent or reduce the effects of liver cancer. Recent studies have shown growing interest in herbal products, nutraceuticals, and Chinese medicines as potential treatments for liver cancer. These substances contain unique bioactive compounds with anticancer properties. The causes of liver cancer and potential treatments are discussed in this review. This study reviews natural compounds, such as curcumin, resveratrol, green tea catechins, grape seed extracts, vitamin D, and selenium. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that these medications reduce the risk of liver cancer through their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenic, and antimetastatic properties. This article discusses the therapeutic properties of natural products, nutraceuticals, and Chinese compounds for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Mechanistic Study on the Possible Role of Embelin in Treating Neurodegenerative Disorders

Embelin (EMB) (2,5-Dihydroxy-3-undecyl-1,4-benzoquinone) is a natural benzoquinone extracted mainly from Embelia ribes (ER) and appear as vivid orange dots beneath the fruit's pericarp. It is being used to treat various diseases since ancient times in India. It has been ascribed as one of the 32 ayurvedic drugs of national importance in the National Medicinal Plant Board set up by the Government of India under the Ministry of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy. Embelin prevents neuronal oxidative damage by decreasing the peroxidation of lipids. Along with having antioxidant properties, it also prevents the production of amyloid-protein-related fibrils and blocks the progression of inflammatory cascades. Due to embelin's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, its neuroprotective effects have been studied in the past using in vitro models of neuronal disorders such as convulsion and epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety and depression, traumatic brain injury, cerebral ischemia, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis. In addition to its neuroprotective effects, its role as an antitubercular, anti-cancer, antioxidant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, contraceptive, carminative, diuretic, and anthelmintic agent has also been studied. With docking studies and recent advancements in formulations of embelin including polyethylene and embelin micelles and embelin noisome preparations, embelin can prove to be a promising compound for its therapeutic actions in a wide range of diseases and disorders. The findings of docking studies suggest the binding ability of embelin to be similar to the standard drug in their respective disorders. In this review and docking analysis, we bring an outline of scientific evidence concerning the neuroprotective actions of embelin, still, further research is required for its prospective as a chief compound in clinical approaches.

Embelin: A multifaceted anticancer agent with translational potential in targeting tumor progression and metastasis

Embelin, a natural para-benzoquinone product, is derived from plants of the Embelia genus, particularly Embelia ribes Burm.f. A staple in traditional medicinal formulations for centuries, Embelin's pharmacological actions are attributed to the hydroxyl benzoquinone present in its structure. Its therapeutic potential is bolstered by unique physical and chemical properties. Recently, Embelin, recognized as a non-peptidic, cell-permeable small inhibitor of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), has garnered significant attention for its anticancer activity. It demonstrates various anticancer mechanisms, such as apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy, in different cancer types. Additionally, Embelin modulates several signal transduction pathways, including NF-κB, PI3Kinase/AKT, and STAT3, effectively inhibiting the proliferation of diverse cancer cell lines. This literature review illuminates the anticancer potential of Embelin, detailing its mechanisms of action and prospective clinical applications, based on relevant scientific literature from the past decade sourced from various electronic databases. See also the Graphical abstract(Fig. 1).

Saturated Cannabinoids: Update on Synthesis Strategies and Biological Studies of These Emerging Cannabinoid Analogs

Natural and non-natural hexahydrocannabinols (HHC) were first described in 1940 by Adam and in late 2021 arose on the drug market in the United States and in some European countries. A background on the discovery, synthesis, and pharmacology studies of hydrogenated and saturated cannabinoids is described. This is harmonized with a summary and comparison of the cannabinoid receptor affinities of various classical, hybrid, and non-classical saturated cannabinoids. A discussion of structure-activity relationships with the four different pharmacophores found in the cannabinoid scaffold is added to this review. According to laboratory studies in vitro, and in several animal species in vivo, HHC is reported to have broadly similar effects to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, as demonstrated both in vitro and in several animal species in vivo. However, the effects of HHC treatment have not been studied in humans, and thus a biological profile has not been established.

Curcumin inhibits proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by blocking PTPN1 and PTPN11 expression

The antitumor mechanism of curcumin is unclear, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. To clarify the mechanism of action of curcumin in the effective treatment of HCC, the targets of curcumin were screened and validated. Candidate genes of curcumin for HCC were screened using the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation of mRNA expression levels between key candidate genes was identified in the TCGA liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) dataset. The effects on prognosis were analyzed to identify the target gene of curcumin, which inhibits HCC cell proliferation. Based on the subcutaneous xenograft model of human HCC in nude mice, the expression levels of target proteins were observed using immunohistochemistry. The analysis results of the present study identified the target genes of curcumin, which were obtained by screening the TCSMP database. The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1) was obtained from TCGA database analysis of the targeted genes. The expression levels of PTPN1 and its homologous sequence genes in TCGA LIHC project was analyzed to identify the potential target gene of curcumin, for use in HCC treatment. Next, xenograft experiments were performed to investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumin in an animal model. Curcumin was demonstrated to inhibit the growth of HCC xenograft tumors in mice. Immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that the protein expression levels of PTPN1 and PTPN11 in the curcumin group were significantly lower compared with those in the control group. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that curcumin inhibits the proliferation of HCC cells by inhibiting the expression of PTPN1 and PTPN11.

Nanocurcumin Improves Lipid Status, Oxidative Stress, and Function of the Liver in Aluminium Phosphide-Induced Toxicity: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms

Background

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of nanocurcumin and curcumin on liver transaminases, lipid profile, oxidant and antioxidant system, and pathophysiological changes in aluminium phosphide (ALP) induced hepatoxicity. Material and Methods. In this experimental study, thirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups curcumin (Cur), nanocurcumin (Nanocur), ALP, ALP+Cur, and ALP+Nanocur. All treatments were performed by oral gavage for seven days. After treatment, animals were sacrificed, and liver and blood samples were taken. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were measured by photometric methods. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as parameters of oxidative stress and mRNA expression of the nonenzyme protein including Sirtuin 1 (STR1), Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and protein O3 (FOXO3), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) as the enzyme protein in homogenized tissues have been investigated. A histologist analyzed liver tissue sections after staining with hematoxylin-eosin.

Results

In the aluminium phosphide group, there was a significant increase in MDA, ALT, AST, and AP and total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and VLDL; AST, ALT, total bilirubin, LDL, VLDL, cholesterol, and MDA were significantly decreased; and HDL and TAC were significantly increased compared to ALP (P < 0.05). In the ALP+Nanocur group, ALT, AST, ALP, total bilirubin, cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, triglyceride, and MDA were significantly decreased and HDL and TAC were increased significantly (P < 0.05). The effect of nanocurcumin on controlling serum levels of LDL, VLDL, triglyceride, and MDA in ALP-poisoned rats was significantly more than curcumin (P < 0.05). The ALP group had significant changes in genes SIRT1, FOXO1a, FOXO3a, CAT, and GPX compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). Nanocurcumin mice expressed more SIRT1, FOXO1a, CAT, and GPX genes than controls, and curcumin-treated mice expressed more SIRT1 and FOXO1a genes (P < 0.05). Histopathological findings also indicated a more significant protective effect of nanocurcumin relative to curcumin against ALP-induced hepatotoxicity.

Conclusion

Nanocurcumin significantly protects the liver against aluminum phosphide toxicity. It is suggested that nanocurcumin-based drugs be developed to reduce the toxic effects of ALP in poisoned patients.

Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) Using Embelin for Effective Therapeutic Management of Lung Cancer

Nanobiotechnology is a burgeoning field of research with applications in cancer treatment, targeted chemotherapy, and molecular diagnosis. This study aims at the fabrication of silver nanoparticles using embelin derived from Embelia ribes to evaluate its anticancer property. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as a novel nano-carrier for therapeutic agents with a wide range of medical capabilities due to their unique structural, physicochemical, and optical features. In our study, the particle size of fabricated AgNPs was measured as 25 nm, and the zeta potential was recorded as -5.42 mV, which indicates the good stability of embelin-derived AgNPs. The crystalline surface morphology was observed by SEM analysis. The FT-IR spectrum confirmed the reduction in silver ions (Ag+) by embelin, and the TEM analysis exhibited polydispersed Ag+ of 20-30 nm. The anticancer potential of embelin-fabricated AgNPs was investigated using in vitro studies on lung cancer cells by the MTT assay. The results revealed significant dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation against A549 cell lines. Embelin AgNP-induced apoptosis was measured by the annexin-V PI apoptosis assay, which exhibited significantly low necrotic cells as compared to apoptotic cells. Finally, the findings of our study suggest the anticancer potential of biofabricated embelin AgNPs, particularly against lung cancer cells.

Reviewing the Traditional/Modern Uses, Phytochemistry, Essential Oils/Extracts and Pharmacology of Embelia ribes Burm

Objectives: Embelia ribes Burm. (E. ribes, Myrsinaceae), also known as Vidanga in Ayurveda, has been shown to have significant therapeutic benefits on several disorders, and its main chemical bioactive constituent, embelin, has the therapeutic potential to be converted into innovative drugs, which is why it has recently received considerable interest. In the present work, we provide a higher level of comprehension, awareness, and extensive knowledge of the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological characteristics of E. ribes throughout the last several decades (February 1965 to June 2021), emphasizing the importance of the study of essential oils extracted from E. ribes, which show a major potential for exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and Methods: Google Scholar, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scifinder, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were used to conduct a thorough literature search. Results: E. ribes is high in essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, and phenolics, all of which have medicinal benefits. The essential oils/extracts and isolated chemical constituents exhibited antioxidant activity, wound healing, antidiabetic, central nervous system (CNS)-related disease, antiviral, antiobesity, cardioprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, and antifertility activity, among other promising pharmacological effects. Conclusion: The translation between traditional applications and modern medicine may make E. ribes a promising target for the implementation of innovative medication. To investigate the efficacy and safety profile of E. ribes, further high-quality preclinical studies using advanced methodologies are required.

Pharmacological activities of Curcumin: An update

In the past few years, multiple drugs have been produced from traditional raw materials and recent pandemic disease COVID-19 once again research on this matter is being conducted to determine potential therapeutic purposes of different Ayurvedic Indian medicines and herbs. One such medicinal herb is Curcuma longa. Curcumin is strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiangiogenic, anti-carcinogenic, as shown by multiple in vitro and in vivo studies. The action of the growth factor receptors is inhibited by curcumin. The anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin is obtained on the cytokines, proteolytic enzymes, eicosanoids, and lipid mediators. The superoxide radicals, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide, are sifted by curcumin, while lipid peroxidation is inhibited. Such properties of the compound thus form the foundation for its various therapeutic and pharmacological effects could also hold antiviral properties including COVID-19. The aim of this research is to summarize the updated pharmacological activities of curcumin.

Farnesol alleviates diethyl nitrosamine induced inflammation and protects experimental rat hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a well-known internal malignancy with increased worldwide mortality. The increased progression rate is closely associated with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis. Chemical carcinogens cause tumor advocacy over free radical metabolites to causes numerous biochemical and molecular changes that bring oxidative stress. In addition, inflammatory cells and its growth factor promotes the progression of liver cancer through deregulates the numerous cellular signaling pathways involved in normal cellular proliferation. Plant derived phytochemicals have a better complimentary potency to defend against a wide array of free radical mediated diseases such as cancer. More recently, we have evaluated the anticancer effect of Farnesol against DEN induced hepatocellular carcinoma in male wistar albino rats. However, the possible mechanism in which Farnesol attributes its anticancer effect against DEN induced liver cancer remains unknown. Hence in the present study, an attempt has been made to reduce the oxidative stress by appraise the antioxidant effect by Farnesol in DEN induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Elevated oxidative stress markers with concomitant decreased cellular antioxidants levels were observed in DEN induced hepatic tissues. Further, proliferating nuclei with increased proliferating cell nucleolar antigen (PCNA) and inflammatory mediator expression were observed in DEN induced rats. Oral supplementation of Farnesol to DEN induced rats significantly decrease the oxidative stress markers and increase the cellular antioxidant status. Moreover, Farnesol treatment decreases the argyrophilic nuclear organizer region and PCNA along with decreased expression of inflammatory mediators suggest that Farnesol treatment restores DEN induced hepatic abnormalities and protects liver from cancer progression.

Hepatoprotective Plants from Bangladesh: A Biophytochemical Review and Future Prospect

Liver diseases are quite prevalant in many densely populated countries, including Bangladesh. The liver and its hepatocytes are targeted by virus and microbes, as well as by chemical environmental toxicants, causing wide-spread disruption of metabolic fuctions of the human body, leading to death from end-stage liver diseases. The aim of this review is to systematically explore and record the potential of Bangladeshi ethnopharmacological plants to treat liver diseases with focus on their sources, constituents, and therapeutic uses, including mechanisms of actions (MoA). A literature survey was carried out using Pubmed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases with articles reported until July, 2020. A total of 88 Bangladeshi hepatoprotective plants (BHPs) belonging to 47 families were listed in this review, including Euphorbiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Compositae families contained 20% of plants, while herbs were the most cited (51%) and leaves were the most consumed parts (23%) as surveyed. The effect of BHPs against different hepatotoxins was observed via upregulation of antioxidant systems and inhibition of lipid peroxidation which subsequently reduced the elevated liver biomarkers. Different active constituents, including phenolics, curcuminoids, cucurbitanes, terpenoids, fatty acids, carotenoids, and polysaccharides, have been reported from these plants. The hepatoameliorative effect of these constituents was mainly involved in the reduction of hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation through activation of Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathways. In summary, BHPs represent a valuable resource for hepatoprotective lead therapeutics which may offer new alternatives to treat liver diseases.

An Overview of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Emphasis on Dietary Products and Herbal Remedies

The most common principal malignant tumor that accounts for ∼80% of cases of liver cancer across the world is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is a multifacetedillness that is caused by several risk factors and often progresses in the context of underlying cirrhosis. It is tremendously difficult and essential for the screening of novel therapeutic medications to establish HCC preclinical models that are equivalent to clinical diseases settings, i.e., representing the tumor microenvironment of HCC. In the progress of HCC, numerous molecular cascades have been supposed to play a part. Sorafenib is the only drug permitted by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of HCC. Yet because of the increasing resistance to the drug and its toxicity, clinical treatment methods are not completely adequate. Newer treatment therapy options are essential for the management of HCC in patients. Natural compounds can be afforded by the patients with improved results with less toxicity and fewer side effects, among different methods of liver cancer treatment. The treatment and management of HCC with natural drugs and their phytoconstituents are connected to several paths that can prevent the occurrence and progress of HCC in several ways. The present review summarizes the etiology of HCC, molecular pathways, newer therapeutic approaches, natural dietary products, herbal plants and phytoconstituents for HCC treatment.

Flavonoid glycosides from the fruits of Embelia ribes and their anti-oxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities

Three new flavonoid glycosides, embeliaflavosides A-C (1-3), together with eight known flavonoid glycosides (4-11), were isolated from the fruits of Embelia ribes. Their structures were established based on the analyses of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1-11 were evaluated for antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The results revealed that compounds 1-11 owned significant ABTS radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 2.52-9.78 µM, and DPPH scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 7.56-26.47 µM, respectively. However, α-glucosidase inhibition assay indicated that all the isolates were inactive.[Formula: see text].

Antisense Tissue Factor Oligodeoxynucleotides Protected Diethyl Nitrosamine/Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Fibrosis Through Toll Like Receptor4-Tissue Factor-Protease Activated Receptor1 Pathway

Tissue factor (TF) is a blood coagulation factor that has several roles in many non-coagulant pathways involved in different pathological conditions such as angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrogenesis. Coagulation and inflammation are crosslinked with liver fibrosis where protease-activated receptor1 (PAR1) and toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) play a key role. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides are strong modulators of gene expression. In the present study, antisense TF oligodeoxynucleotides (TFAS) was evaluated in treating liver fibrosis via suppression of TF gene expression. Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by a single administration of N-diethyl nitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg; i. p.) followed by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 3 ml/kg; s. c.) once weekly for 6 weeks. Following fibrosis induction, liver TF expression was significantly upregulated along with liver enzymes activities and liver histopathological deterioration. Alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-1beta (TGF-1β) expression, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and hydroxyproline content and collagen deposition were significantly elevated in the liver. Blocking of TF expression by TFAS injection (2.8 mg/kg; s. c.) once weekly for 6 weeks significantly restored liver enzymes activities and improved histopathological features along with decreasing the elevated α-SMA, TGF-1β, TNF-α, hydroxyproline and collagen. Moreover, TFAS decreased the expression of both PAR1 and TLR4 that were induced by liver fibrosis. In conclusion, we reported that blockage of TF expression by TFAS improved inflammatory and fibrotic changes associated with CCl4+DEN intoxication. In addition, we explored the potential crosslink between the TF, PAR1 and TLR4 in liver fibrogenesis. These findings offer a platform on which recovery from liver fibrosis could be mediated through targeting TF expression.

A Systematic Review of the Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Naringin Against Human Malignancies

Background: Natural product-based cancer preventive and therapeutic entities, such as flavonoids and their derivatives, are shown to have a noticeable capability to suppress tumor formation and cancer cell growth. Naringin, a natural flavanone glycoside present in various plant species, has been indicated to modulate different signaling pathways and interact with numerous cell signaling molecules, which allows for an extensive variety of pharmacological actions, such as amelioration of inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic syndromes, bone disorders, and cancer. The purpose of this systematic review is to present a critical and comprehensive assessment of the antitumor ability of naringin and associated molecular targets in various cancers. Methods: Studies were identified through systematic searches of Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus as well as eligibility checks according to predefined selection criteria. Results: Eighty-seven studies were included in this systematic review. There was strong evidence for the association between treatment with naringin alone, or combined with other drugs and antitumor activity. Additionally, studies showed that naringin-metal complexes have greater anticancer effects compared to free naringin. It has been demonstrated that naringin employs multitargeted mechanisms to hamper cancer initiation, promotion, and progression through modulation of several dysregulated signaling cascades implicated in cell proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and invasion. Conclusion: The results of our work show that naringin is a promising candidate for cancer prevention and treatment, and might offer substantial support for the clinical application of this phytocompound in the future. Nevertheless, further preclinical and clinical studies as well as drug delivery approaches are needed for designing novel formulations of naringin to realize the full potential of this flavonoid in cancer prevention and intervention.

Potential Role of Curcumin and Its Nanoformulations to Treat Various Types of Cancers

Cancer is a major burden of disease globally. Each year, tens of millions of people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide, and more than half of the patients eventually die from it. Significant advances have been noticed in cancer treatment, but the mortality and incidence rates of cancers are still high. Thus, there is a growing research interest in developing more effective and less toxic cancer treatment approaches. Curcumin (CUR), the major active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), has gained great research interest as an antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory agent. This natural compound shows its anticancer effect through several pathways including interfering with multiple cellular mechanisms and inhibiting/inducing the generation of multiple cytokines, enzymes, or growth factors including IκB kinase β (IκKβ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), signal transducer, and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), cyclooxygenase II (COX-2), protein kinase D1 (PKD1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), epidermal growth factor, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Interestingly, the anticancer activity of CUR has been limited primarily due to its poor water solubility, which can lead to low chemical stability, low oral bioavailability, and low cellular uptake. Delivering drugs at a controlled rate, slow delivery, and targeted delivery are other very attractive methods and have been pursued vigorously. Multiple CUR nanoformulations have also been developed so far to ameliorate solubility and bioavailability of CUR and to provide protection to CUR against hydrolysis inactivation. In this review, we have summarized the anticancer activity of CUR against several cancers, for example, gastrointestinal, head and neck, brain, pancreatic, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. In addition, we have also focused on the findings obtained from multiple experimental and clinical studies regarding the anticancer effect of CUR in animal models, human subjects, and cancer cell lines.

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-melanoma potential of two benzoquinone homologues embelin and rapanone - a comparative in vitro study

Rapanone and embelin are simple alkyl benzoquinone derivatives, mainly distributed in the Primulaceae. They have an interesting scope of biological activities including cytotoxicity. As melanoma is one of the most common types of cancer, in many cases resistant to current treatment regimens, the aim of this study was to assess and compare anti-melanoma activity of the two benzoquinones. Cytotoxicity of both compounds towards different melanoma cell lines (A375, HTB140, WM793) and selectivity with respect to normal keratinocytes (HaCaT) were investigated. Furthermore, interactions with a reference chemotherapeutic, doxorubicine, were assessed. Finally, analysis of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities of both benzoquinones was conducted as well. Rapanone showed selective and higher than doxorubicine cytotoxic potential against primary melanoma cell line, WM793. Although embelin was also highly cytotoxic, its selectivity was much poorer. Interestingly, in case of HTB140 and HaCaT cell lines a combination of each benzoquinone with doxorubicine potentiated the cytotoxic potential in a synergistic manner. Embelin revealed higher albumin anti-denaturation potential than rapanone but lower than diclofenac sodium. Anti-hyaluronidase effect of both benzoquinones was higher than quercetin. Both compounds showed antioxidant potential although significantly lower as compared to vitamin C. Finally, neither embelin nor rapanone had any inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.

Assessment of the Antitumor Potentiality of Newly Designed Steroid Derivatives: Pre-Clinical Study

Cancer is recognized as one of the most prevalent contributors to mortality in several nations and it remains one of the common health issues globally. In particular, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a public health problem along with the increase of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infections. Based on this fact, our study goaled to synthesize newly hybrid drugs containing heterocyclic rings incorporated to steroid moiety and to examine the potential antitumor activity of the newly designed heterosteroid derivatives against HCC induced in animal model. Several heterocyclic steroids were synthesized 2-7 and confirmed via the analytical and spectral data (IR, ¹H NMR¹³C NMR and Mass spectroscopy). Compounds 3, 4, and 5 were chosen to be investigated as anticancer agents in HCC rat model by means of validated biomarkers (alfa –fetoprotein, endoglin, lipocali-2 and heat shock protein-70). Following administration of compounds 3, 4 or 5, availability of the active tumor marker molecules was significantly dropped and a substantial decrease of the angiogenic and inflammatory mediators was also evident. These findings were supported by the histological examination of liver tissue. Taken together, this study indicates the potential anticancer activity of the newly synthesized heterosteroid derivatives against HCC in vivo. The antitumor activity of these compounds was likely attributable to modulating some signal transduction pathways involved in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis and inflammation.

Embelin: a benzoquinone possesses therapeutic potential for the treatment of human cancer

Natural products have been gaining recognition and are becoming a significant part of research in the area of drug development and discovery. Phytochemicals derived from these sources have been comprehensively studied and have displayed a wide range of activities against many fatal diseases including cancer. One such product that has gained recognition from its pharmacological properties and nontoxic nature is embelin, obtained from Embelia ribes. Amid all the vivid pharmacological activities, embelin has gained its prominence in the area of cancer research. Embelin binds to the BIR3 domain of XIAP, preventing the association of XIAP and caspase-9 resulting in the suppression of cell growth, proliferation and migration of various types of cancer cells. Furthermore, embelin modulates anti-apoptotic pathways by suppressing the activity of NF-κB, PI3-kinase/AKT, JAK/STAT pathway - among others. The present review summarizes the various reported effects of embelin on different types of cancer cells and highlights the cellular mechanisms of action.

The Application of Embelin for Cancer Prevention and Therapy

Embelin is a naturally-occurring benzoquinone compound that has been shown to possess many biological properties relevant to human cancer prevention and treatment, and increasing evidence indicates that embelin may modulate various characteristic hallmarks of tumor cells. This review summarizes the information related to the various oncogenic pathways that mediate embelin-induced cell death in multiple cancer cells. The mechanisms of the action of embelin are numerous, and most of them induce apoptotic cell death that may be intrinsic or extrinsic, and modulate the NF-κB, p53, PI3K/AKT, and STAT3 signaling pathways. Embelin also induces autophagy in cancer cells; however, these autophagic cell-death mechanisms of embelin have been less reported than the apoptotic ones. Recently, several autophagy-inducing agents have been used in the treatment of different human cancers, although they require further exploration before being transferred from the bench to the clinic. Therefore, embelin could be used as a potential agent for cancer therapy.

Reduction of liver tumerogenic effect of N-nitrosodiethylamine by treatment with ɣ-oryzanol in Balb/C mice

In recent years, naturally occurring phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity have generated surmount interest in their therapeutic usage against a wide range of pathological and toxicological conditions. The present study was designed to evaluate potential of ɣ-oryzanol (OZ), a bio-active natural antioxidant against hepatocellular carcinoma effect of the carcinogen N-nitrosodiethylamine in Balb/c mice. OZ inhibited the proliferation of Hep-3B cell line in concentration dependent manner. Administration of OZ to N-nitrosodiethylamine induced Balb/c mice for 16 and 32 weeks showed reduction in levels of liver injury markers, restored the levels of liver tumor markers, suppressed the hepatic nodular incidence and multiplicity, and favorably modulated the liver antioxidant status in a time dependent manner. Histologically, no obvious signs of neoplasia in the liver tissues were observed in OZ supplemented rats with N-nitrosodiethylamine induced liver tumerogenesis. OZ was found to be effective for reduction of N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Curcumin in Hepatobiliary Disease: Pharmacotherapeutic Properties and Emerging Potential Clinical Applications

Curcumin, an aromatic phytoextract from the turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome, has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes, not the least of which is medicinal. A growing body of evidence suggests that curcumin has a broad range of potentially therapeutic pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and anti-neoplastic effects, among others. Clinical applications of curcumin have been hampered by quality control concerns and limited oral bioavailability, although novel formulations appear to have largely overcome these issues. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have found that curcumin's cytoprotective and other biological activities may play a role in an array of benign and malignant hepatobiliary conditions, including but not limited to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cholestatic liver disease (e.g. primary sclerosing cholangitis), and cholangiocarcinoma. Here we provide an overview of fundamental principles, recent discoveries, and potential clinical hepatobiliary applications of this pleiotropic phytocompound.

In vitro, In silico and In vivo Antitumor Activity of Crude Methanolic Extract of Tetilla dactyloidea (Carter, 1869) on DEN Induced HCC in a Rat Model

Tetilla dactyloidea (Carter, 1869) is a marine sponge classified under Demospongia and recent studies have demonstrated that active constituents of Demospongia class have exhibited several potential medical applications. However, no preliminary pharmacological studies have been reported so far. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the zoo-chemical status, antioxidant potential and anticancer activity of Crude Methanolic Extract of Tetilla dactyloidea (CMETD). Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) was induced in the liver of male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by treating with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Nodule incidence, body weight, liver marker enzymes, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant, phase I metabolizing and liver macromolecular damaging enzymes and immuno-histopathological changes were assessed in DEN and DEN+CMETD treated rats. Oral administration of CMETD at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight to DEN treated rats restored the above parameters to near normal levels compared to control. The biochemical results were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked hepatoprotective effect of CMETD in a dose dependent manner. The GCMS of CMETD analysis showed the presence of six compounds. In in silico analysis 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester ligand showed an effective binding energy of -7.1kcal/mol against Cox-2 receptor. The compounds showed desirable pharmacokinetic properties and significant molecular interactions with the HCC receptors. To conclude, our results clearly suggested that CMETD treatment prevented liver damage, protected the antioxidant defense system and possessed anti-carcinogenic potential in DEN induced hepatic carcinoma.

Benefits of Curcumin Supplementation on Antioxidant Status in β-Thalassemia Major Patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: β-Thalassemia major, the most common inherited anemia in the world, is associated with imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of curcumin supplementation on markers of oxidative stress in patients with β-Thalassemia. Methods: This double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 61 β-thalassemia major patients. Subjects in the curcumin group received two 500 mg curcumin capsules daily and patients in the placebo group took 2 placebo capsules daily for 12 weeks. Dietary intakes and biochemical parameters were assessed at the beginning and the end of intervention. Results: At the end of the study, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total and direct bilirubin significantly decreased (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively) and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased (p = 0.005) in the curcumin group. Based on the analysis of covariance, a significant reduction in MDA, total and direct bilirubin was also detected in the curcumin group when compared to the placebo group (p = 0.001, p = 0.039, and p = 0.013, respectively). Changes in hemoglobin, serum iron, ferritin, catalase, and vitamin E were not significant in any of the 2 groups. Conclusions: Curcumin supplementation in combination with deferoxamin improved the antioxidant status in β-thalassemia major patients. Curcumin may be useful for the relief of metabolic complications in these patients.

Immunohistochemical and biochemical alterations following administration of proanthocyanidin extract in rats hepatocellular carcinoma

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) is known to be effective on broad spectrum of biological pathways in living organisms including oxidative stress. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of proanthocyanidin on preneoplastic lesions and liver cancer induced in rats by Diethylnitrosamine (DEN). 7-8 Week old male Sprague Dawley (S.D.) rats were divided into six groups: The 1st group received no treatment and were -ve controls, the 2nd were treated with a single dose of DEN 200mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) and served as +ve control group. The 3rd and 4th groups were injected with the same dose of DEN as in group 2 and then post treated with 300 or 150mg/kg/b.wt./day GSPE by intrgastroluminal gavage (i.g.) respectively until the end after the 22 weeks. Groups 5 and 6 were treated with the same doses of GSPE as in groups 3 and 4 respectively without DEN administration. The results showed that the immunohistochemical Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) labeling indexes (PCNA LI%) were significantly inhibited in liver tissues and tumors by both treatments of GSPE. Furthermore, treatment with GSPE has modified the liver tissue oxidative stress markers levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, GST, GPx, GR and MDA changed by DEN. In conclusion, GSPE has a sufficient therapeutic effect against liver carcinogenesis through their free radical scavenging, inhibition of cellular proliferation.

ROS-mediated induction of apoptosis by benzoquinone embelin in human colon adenocarcinoma cells HT-29

Background Embelin is a benzoquinone reported to possess anticancer activity in several in vivo and in vitro models of carcinogenesis, especially hematopoietic and prostate malignancy. A detailed investigation on the influence of embelin on epithelial malignancy model system, especially colon adenocarcinoma, is lacking. The objective of the current study is to investigate the antiproliferative, antiinvasive and proapoptotic potential of embelin on colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29. Methods The effect of embelin (35 µg/mL for 24 h) on cell proliferation was assessed by Sulforhodamine B assay and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation test, antiinvasive effect by Boyden chamber assay and scratch assay. Proapoptotic effects of embelin were determined by studies on DNA fragmentation, annexin V-FITC labeling, TUNEL assay, COMET assay and assay of caspase-3 activity. Influence of embelin on the expression of genes regulating apoptosis (caspase 3 and 9, Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome C and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) and migration/invasion (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2 and MMP-9) was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Further, the effect of embelin on the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxides, nitric oxide, mitochondrial membrane potential and antioxidant status (total reduced glutathione [GSH] and GSH-S-transferase) was evaluated. Results Results implicated that embelin treatment inhibited proliferation (IC50 35 µg/mL), induced DNA fragmentation, phosphatidyl serine externalization, increased caspase expression, decreased cell migration and expression of MMPs in HT-29 cells. Interestingly, embelin exhibited prooxidant effect on HT-29 cells and induced excessive ROS generation resulting in apoptotic cell death. Conclusions To conclude, embelin treatment could be a promising strategy for the chemotherapy of colon cancer.

Osthole induces lung cancer cell apoptosis through inhibition of inhibitor of apoptosis family proteins

In the present study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of Osthole on the apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and its synergistic effect with Embelin. Our results revealed that treatment with both Osthole and Embelin inhibited cell proliferation. Notably, combination treatment of Osthole and Embelin inhibited cell proliferation more significantly compared with monotherapy. In addition, morphological analysis and Annexin V/propidium iodide analysis revealed that the combination of Osthole and Embelin enhanced their effect on cell apoptosis. We further examined the effect of Osthole on the expression of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family proteins. That treatment of A549 lung cancer cells with various concentrations of Osthole was observed to decrease the protein expression of X-chromosome-encoded IAP, c-IAP1, c-IAP2 and Survivin, and increase Smac expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was noted that Osthole or Embelin alone increased the expression of BAX, caspase-3, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9, and decreased Bcl-2 levels following treatment. Osthole and Embelin combination treatment had a synergistic effect on the regulation of these proteins. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Osthole inhibited proliferation and induced the apoptosis of lung cancer cells via IAP family proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Osthole enhances the antitumor effect of Embelin, indicating that combination of Osthole and Embelin has potential clinical significance in the treatment of NSCLC.

A novel curcumin analogue is a potent chemotherapy candidate for human hepatocellular carcinoma

Curcumin (CUR) has been demonstrated to protect against carcinogenesis and to prevent tumor development in cancer; however, the clinical application of CUR is limited by its instability and poor metabolic properties. The present study offers an strategy for a novel CUR analogue, (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(2-bromophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one (GL63), to be used as a potential therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro and in vivo. The current study demonstrated that GL63 exhibited more potent inhibition of proliferation of HCC cells than CUR. GL63 induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in SK-HEP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and was more potent than CUR, according to the flow cytometry data. The present study demonstrated for the first time that the inhibition of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway by GL63 resulted in a protective effect against HCC cell growth. GL63 was more effective than CUR in regulating STAT3 downstream targets, which contributed to the suppression of cell proliferation and the induction of cell apoptosis. In addition, the effects of GL63 were tested in a model of N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced HCC in Wistar rats. Although macroscopic and microscopic features suggested that both GL63 and CUR were effective in inhibiting DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, GL63 exerted a stronger effect than CUR. Immunohistochemical analysis for proliferating cell nuclear antigen demonstrated significant differences among the DEN-bearing non-treated, DEN-bearing GL63-treated and DEN-bearing, CUR-treated groups (P=0.039). It was concluded that GL63 was a potent agent able to suppress the proliferation of HCC cells by inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, with more favorable pharmacological activity than CUR, and may be a more potent compound for the prevention of DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats than CUR.

Domino Synthesis of Embelin Derivatives with Antibacterial Activity

A series of dihydropyran embelin derivatives was synthesized through a direct and highly efficient approach based on a domino Knoevenagel intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction from natural embelin (1), using unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of organocatalysts such as ethylendiamine diacetate or l-proline. The aliphatic aldehydes yielded exclusively trans adducts, while mixtures of trans and cis isomers were found in reactions with aromatic aldehydes, with the cis form always predominating. Some of the compounds obtained were active and selective against Gram-positive bacteria, including multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates.

Dietary Natural Products for Prevention and Treatment of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the most common malignancy of the digestive system with high death rate. Accumulating evidences suggests that many dietary natural products are potential sources for prevention and treatment of liver cancer, such as grapes, black currant, plum, pomegranate, cruciferous vegetables, French beans, tomatoes, asparagus, garlic, turmeric, ginger, soy, rice bran, and some edible macro-fungi. These dietary natural products and their active components could affect the development and progression of liver cancer in various ways, such as inhibiting tumor cell growth and metastasis, protecting against liver carcinogens, immunomodulating and enhancing effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. This review summarizes the potential prevention and treatment activities of dietary natural products and their major bioactive constituents on liver cancer, and discusses possible mechanisms of action.

Selective Toxicity of Persian Gulf Sea Cucumber (Holothuria parva) and Sponge (Haliclona oculata) Methanolic Extracts on Liver Mitochondria Isolated from an Animal Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Natural products isolated from marine environments are well known for their pharmacodynamic potential in diverse disease treatments, such as for cancer or inflammatory conditions. Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the phylum Echinoderm and the class Holothuroidea, with leathery skin and gelatinous bodies. Sponges are important components of Persian Gulf animal communities, and the marine sponges of the genus Haliclona have been known to display broad-spectrum biological activity. Many studies have shown that sea cucumbers and sponges contain antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to determine the selective toxicity of Persian Gulf sea cucumber (Holothuria parva) and sponge (Haliclona oculata) methanolic extracts on liver mitochondria isolated from an animal model of hepatocellular carcinoma, as part of a national project that hopes to identify novel potential anticancer candidates among Iranian Persian Gulf flora and fauna.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To induce hepatocarcinogenesis, rats were given diethylnitrosamine (DEN) injections (200 mg/kg i.p. by a single dose), and then the cancer was promoted with 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) (0.02 w/w) for two weeks. Histopathological evaluations were performed, and levels of liver injury markers and a specific liver cancer marker (alpha-fetoprotein), were determined for confirmation of hepatocellular carcinoma induction. Finally, mitochondria were isolated from cancerous and non-cancerous hepatocytes.

RESULTS

Our results showed that H. parva methanolic extracts (250, 500, and 1000 µg/mL) and H. oculata methanolic extracts (200, 400, and 800 µg/mL) increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial swelling, and cytochrome c release in the mitochondria obtained from cancerous hepatocytes, but not in mitochondria obtained from non-cancerous liver hepatocytes. These extracts also induced caspase-3 activation, which is known as a final mediator of apoptosis, in the hepatocytes obtained only from cancerous, not non-cancerous, rat livers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that H. parva and H. oculata may be promising therapeutic candidates for the treatment of HCC, following further confirmatory in vivo experiments and clinical trials.

Targeting Mortalin by Embelin Causes Activation of Tumor Suppressor p53 and Deactivation of Metastatic Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Embelin, a natural quinone found in the fruits of Embelia ribes, is commonly used in Ayurvedic home medicine for a variety of therapeutic potentials including anti-inflammation, anti-fever, anti-bacteria and anti-cancer. Molecular mechanisms of these activities and cellular targets have not been clarified to-date. We demonstrate that the embelin inhibits mortalin-p53 interactions, and activates p53 protein in tumor cells. We provide bioinformatics, molecular docking and experimental evidence to the binding affinity of embelin with mortalin and p53. Binding of embelin with mortalin/p53 abrogates their complex resulted in nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation function of p53 causing growth arrest in cancer cells. Furthermore, analyses of growth factors and metastatic signaling using antibody membrane array revealed their downregulation in embelin-treated cells. We also found that the embelin causes transcriptional attenuation of mortalin and several other proteins involved in metastatic signaling in cancer cells. Based on these molecular dynamics and experimental data, it is concluded that the anticancer activity of embelin involves targeting of mortalin, activation of p53 and inactivation of metastatic signaling.

Synergistic effect of curcumin and piperine in suppression of DENA-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

Curcumin has been reported to suppress different types of clinical and experimentally-induced tumors, but due to less absorption and quick metabolism it show poor bioavailability. The present study was envisaged to investigate the possible synergistic effect of combined treatment of curcumin with piperine in suppression of diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats, owing to permeability enhancing effect of latter. HCC was induced by supplying DENA (0.01%) in drinking water for 10 weeks. The rats were treated with curcumin (100mg/kg; p.o.) per se and curcumin along with piperine (20mg/kg; p.o.) for 4 weeks post HCC induction. The combined treatment significantly attenuated the morphological, histopathological, biochemical, apoptotic and proliferative changes in the liver and serum in comparison to curcumin per se and vehicle control group. The results of present study concluded that curcumin in combination with piperine shows better suppression of DENA-induced HCC in contrast to curcumin per se.

Anticancer activity of Cynodon dactylon L. root extract against diethyl nitrosamine induced hepatic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers and a lethal disease. In view of the limited treatment and a grave prognosis of liver cancer, preventive control has been emphasized.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The methanolic extract of roots of Cynodon dactylon was screened for its hepato-protective activity in diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) induced liver cancer in Swiss albino mice. The plant extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg was administered orally once a week, up to 30 days after DEN administration. The animals were sacrificed; blood sample and liver tissue were collected and used for enzyme assay such as, asparatate amino transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The liver marker enzymes AST and ALT produced significant results in the protective action.

RESULTS

The antioxidant enzyme assay results concerning the improved activity of GPx, GST and CAT. These results concluded that enhanced levels of antioxidant enzyme and reduced amount of serum amino transaminase, which are suggested to be the major mechanisms of C. dactylon root extract in protecting the mice from hepatocarcinoma induced by DEN. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections.

CONCLUSION

The methanolic extract of C. dactylon possesses significant anticancer properties.

Inhibition of Angiogenesis and Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS), by Embelin & Vilangin Using in vitro, in vivo & in Silico Studies

PURPOSE

In recent year's anti-angiogenesis agents have been recognized as effective drugs for the treatment of solid tumors, this prompted us to conduct the present study.

METHODS

The anti-angiogenic activity of dimeric form of embelin (vilangin) was evaluated using endothelial cell (in vitro) and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) egg yolk angiogenesis model (in vivo) and in addition the docking behaviour of human nitric oxide synthases (NOS) with four different ligands was evaluated along with their putative binding sites using Discovery Studio Version 3.1 (in silico) compared with the parent compound (embelin).

RESULTS

Vilangin exhibits 50% cytotoxic at 92 ± 1 µg/ml concentration level with reference to ECV 304 endothelial cells. Both vilangin and embelin, showed inhibitory effects on wound healing, single cell migration, nitric oxide production, and endothelial ring formation at 0.1 and 1.0 µg/ml concentration level. Similarly, CAM assay also showed inhibitory effect of vilangin and embelin with respect their reduction in length, size and junctions of blood capillaries compared to untreated egg yolk. Docking studies and binding free energy calculations revealed that vilangin has maximum interaction energy (-74.6 kcal/mol) as compared to the other investigated ligands.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that both vilangin and embelin attenuates angiogenesis in similar manner.

Preventive effect of hydrazinocurcumin on carcinogenesis of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinoma in male SD rats

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the preventive effects of hydrazinocurcumin (HZC) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in a male Sprague Dawley (SD) rat model. One hundred and twenty male SD rats used in this study were divided into six groups. Those receiving DEN with curcumin (CUR) or HZC were studied compared with the DEN-alone group. The study demonstrated that DEN induced severe histological and immunohistochemical changes in liver tissues, significantly increasing the levels of liver marker enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and total bilirubin level (TBL)). The hepatocarcinoma incidences were 100.0%, 36.7% and 20.0% in the DEN-alone, DEN-CUR and DEN-HZC groups, respectively. Although macroscopic and microscopic features suggested that both CUR and HZC were effective in inhibiting DEN- induced hepatocarcinogenesis, HZC was exerted a stronger influence. Immunohistochemical analysis with PCNA demonstrated significantly differences among the groups (all P < 0.05). Taken together, the results suggested application of CUR and HZC could prevent the occurrence of carcinogenesis and HZC may be a more potent compound for prevention of DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats than CUR.

Targeted delivery of Doxorubicin by folic acid-decorated dual functional nanocarrier

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most commonly used antineoplastic agents, but its clinical application is oftentimes coupled with severe side effects. Selective delivery of DOX to tumors via nanosized drug carrier represents an attractive approach to this problem. Previously, we developed a dual functional nanomicellar carrier, PEG5K-embelin2 (PEG5K-EB2), which was able to deliver paclitaxel (PTX) selectively to tumors and to achieve an enhanced therapeutic effect. In the present study, we examined the utility of PEG5K-EB2 to deliver DOX to tumors. In addition, folic acid (FA) was coupled to the surface of the PEG5K-EB2 micelles (FA-PEG5K-EB2) to further improve the selective targetability of the system. DOX-loaded PEG5K-EB2 micelles were uniformly spherical particles with a diameter of approximately 20 nm. Incorporation of FA had minimal effect on the size of the particles. The DOX loading efficiency was as high as 91.7% and 93.5% for PEG5K-EB2 and FA-PEG5K-EB2, respectively. DOX formulated in PEG5K-EB2 micelles (with or without FA decoration) demonstrated sustained kinetics of DOX release compared to free DOX. FA-PEG5K-EB2 significantly facilitated the intracellular uptake of DOX over free DOX and PEGylated liposomal DOX (Doxil) in breast cancer cells, 4T1.2, and drug resistant cells, NCI/ADR-RES. P-gp ATPase assay showed that PEG5K-EB2 significantly inhibited the function of the P-gp efflux pump. The maximum tolerated dose of DOX-loaded PEG5K-EB2 micelles was 15 mg/kg in mice, which was 1.5-fold greater than that for free DOX. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution studies showed that both types of DOX-loaded micelles, especially FA-PEG5K-EB2, were able to significantly prolong the blood circulation time of DOX and facilitate its preferential accumulation at the tumor tissue. Finally, DOX/PEG5K-EB2 mixed micelles demonstrated significantly enhanced tumor growth inhibitory effect with minimal toxicity in comparison to free DOX and Doxil and the antitumor activity was further enhanced after the decoration by folic acid. Our data suggest that FA-PEG5K-EB2 micelles represent a promising DOX delivery system that warrants more study in the future.

Synthesis and anti-proliferative activities of new derivatives of embelin

Embelin (1), a benzoquinone isolated from Embelia ribes is known to possess variety of biological activities. Despite of several promising biological activities, preclinical efforts on embelin were hampered because of its poor aqueous solubility. In order to address the solubility issue, herein, we have synthesized a series of Mannich products of embelin by treating it with various secondary amines. The synthesized compounds were screened for antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities. In cytotoxicity screening, the benzyl-piperidine linked derivative 8m was found to possess better antiproliferative activity compared to parent natural product embelin against a panel of cell lines including HCT-116, MCF-7, MIAPaCa-2 and PC-3 with IC50 values of 30, 41, 34 and 36 μM, respectively. The mechanistic study of compound 8m revealed that it exhibits cytotoxicity via induction of apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential loss. Further, the compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity where dimethylamino- 8a and piperidine linked derivative 8b displayed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values of 8 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. Mannich derivatives did now show improved aqueous solubility, however their hydrochloride salts 8a·HCl, 8b·HCl and 8m·HCl showed significantly improved aqueous solubility without affecting biological activities of parent Mannich derivatives.