Kochia scoparia induces apoptosis of oral cancer cells in vitro and in heterotopic tumors

Hypoglycemic effects of mountain caviar extract and inhibitory mechanism of saponins, including momordin Ic, on glucose absorption

Mountain caviar is a fruit of Kochia scoparia that contains momordin Ic as a major saponin constituent. Its extract (MCE) has been shown to suppress blood glucose elevations in the human oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as well as increases in blood glucose in OGTT, gastric emptying (GE), and glucose incorporation in the small intestine in rats. However, the effects of MCE and momordin Ic on glucose absorption in mice and these action mechanisms have not been examined for more than 2 decades. Therefore, we herein investigated the effects of MCE, its saponin fraction, and momordin Ic on blood glucose elevations in mice. Mouse blood glucose elevation tests were performed on carbohydrate-loaded mice. The mountain caviar saponin fraction significantly delayed blood glucose elevations in glucose-, sucrose-, and soluble starch-loaded mice. In glucose-loaded mice, the saponin fraction, MCE, and momordin Ic significantly suppressed rapid glucose elevations after glucose loading, but not sucrose loading. A mouse GE study was performed by loading with glucose and phenolphthalein solution. Momordin Ic and MCE strongly suppressed mouse GE. Intestinal glucose absorption was evaluated by the incorporation of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) into Caco-2 cell layers and mouse duodenum wall vesicles. The results obtained showed that momordin Ic inhibited the incorporation of 2-DG into Caco-2 cells and mouse duodenum vesicles. Collectively, these results suggest that MCE, particularly the principal saponin, momordin Ic, preferably suppressed glucose-induced blood glucose elevations and delayed carbohydrate-induced glucose elevations in mice. The underlying mechanism was found to involve the suppression of GE and intestinal glucose absorption.

Applications of yoga in oral oncology: A systematic scoping review

Background and Aims

Yoga is well-thought-out as an all-inclusive approach globally and can be administered in clinical care as an integrative or alternate approach to regular treatment. Yoga exercise has been disclosed to influence remission from cancer cells over a long period of time and also reverses epigenetic alterations. Applications of Yoga in the management of oral oncology patients are scarce, hence the need for a scoping review of the literature. Hence, this study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the existing empirical evidence on the applications of yoga in oral oncology.

Methods

The review methodology was informed by Joanna Brigg's Institute guidelines for systematic scoping reviews, and the review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Ten databases were searched. The records of all the literature retrieved from the search were imported into the Rayyan software for deduplication. After the full-text screening, only two were found eligible for inclusion in the scoping review. Data obtained in the included literature were extracted and synthesized.

Results

This review found that Yoga was not significantly effective in the management of stress among oral cancer patients (p-values > 0.04). However, it was found that Yoga significantly reduced anxiety, saliva stickiness, and episodes of falling ill (p-values < 0.05) while it improved mental well-being, cognitive functioning, emotional functioning, and head and neck pain of those oral cancer patients that received it (p-values < 0.05).

Conclusion

An integrative care approach that considers nonpharmaceutical techniques such as yoga could help to reduce care cost while improving care outcomes and quality of life of oral cancer patients. Hence, it is imperative to consider yoga along with its potential benefits, and we recommend gradual incorporation of yoga into oral cancer care.

Chemopreventive and Anti-tumor Potential of Natural Products in Oral Cancer

Oral cancer (OC) is a multifactorial disease caused by isolated or combined risk factors related to tobacco, alcohol consumption, and human papillomavirus infection. It is an aggressive pathology with a low five-year survival rate after surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy, frequently associated with severe side effects. Drugs with the highest anti-tumor effect are obtained from natural products with diverse biological and molecular activities and potential chemopreventive and anticancer properties. This review summarizes the natural products reported to have the chemopreventive and anti-tumor potential for OC treatment, showing that several of these compounds are promising candidates as chemopreventive agents, and those with the highest anti-tumor potential induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation and metastasis-related processes. For this reason, natural products have the potential to be important preventive and therapeutic options for OC in the future.

Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Kochia scoparia Using ITS2 Barcoding

Kochia scoparia has high medicinal and economic value. However, with similar morphological features, adulterants and some closely related species of K. scoparia are increasingly sold in the medicinal markets, leading to potential safety risks. In this study, 128 internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences were collected to distinguish K. scoparia from its closely related species and adulterants. Then, sequence alignment, sequence characteristics analysis, and genetic distance calculations were performed using MEGA 6.06 software, and the phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using both MEGA 6.06 and IQ-Tree software. Finally, the secondary structure of ITS2 was modeled using the prediction tool in the ITS2 database. The results showed that ITS2 sequences of K. scoparia ranged in length from 226 to 227 bp, with a mean GC content of 55.3%. The maximum intraspecific distance was zero, while the minimum interspecific distance from closely related species and adulterants was 0.009 and 0.242, respectively. Kochia scoparia formed an independent clade in the phylogenetic trees, and its secondary structure exhibited enough variation to be separated from that of other species. In summary, ITS2 can be used as a mini-barcode for distinguishing K. scoparia from closely related species and adulterants. Its phylogenetic trees could illustrate the evolutionary process of K. scoparia in the Camphorosmeae. The phylogenetic results using ITS2 barcode further supported the internationally recognized revised classifications of Kochia and Bassia genera as a combined Bassia genus, together with the establishment of new genera Grubovia and Sedobassia, which we suggest is accepted by the Flora of China. Graphical abstract .

Kochia scoparia seed extract suppresses VEGF-induced angiogenesis via modulating VEGF receptor 2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways

Context: Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad (Amaranthaceae), known as a traditional medicine in China, Japan and Korea, is reported to have various biological activities. However, K. scoparia seed extract (KSE) functional roles on angiogenesis and prostate cancer inhibition have not been elucidated. Objective: This study elucidates the effects of KSE on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and inhibition of proliferation in prostate cancer cells. Materials and methods: HUVECs were treated with 10-20 µg/mL of KSE and 20-50 ng/mL of VEGF for 12-72 h. Anti-angiogenesis properties of KSE were determined by wound healing, trans-well, tube formation, rat aortic ring assay and western blotting. Prostate cancer and normal cells were incubated with 10-250 µg/mL of KSE for 24 h, and cell viability was measured by SRB assay. Phenolic compounds in KSE were analyzed using a HPLC-PDA system. Results: IC₅₀ for cell viability of HUVECs, LNCaP, PC-3, RC-58T and RWPE-1 by KSE were 30.64, 89.25, 123.41, 141.62 and >250 µg/mL, respectively. Treatment with KSE (20 µg/mL) significantly suppressed VEGF-induced migration, invasion and capillary-like structure formation of HUVECs and microvessel sprouting from rat aortic rings. In addition, KSE down-regulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR levels and phosphorylation of VEGF receptor 2 in HUVECs. 3-OH-tyrosol (1.63 mg/g) and morin hydrate (0.17 mg/g) were identified in KSE. Conclusions: KSE inhibits angiogenesis in HUVECs as well as proliferation in human prostate cancer cells, suggesting KSE may be useful herbal medicine for preventing progression of prostate cancer and angiogenesis.

Ginkgetin inhibits growth of breast carcinoma via regulating MAPKs pathway

The purpose of present study was to investigate anti-tumor activity of Ginkgetin (GK) and its mechanism of action in breast cancer. The effects of GK on growth of human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, BT-474 and MCF-7 were examined by MTT assay. Cells apoptosis in MCF-7 cells were analyzed by TUNEL staining and annexin-V and propidium iodide double staining. The effects of GK on expression of apoptotic associated proteins and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were determined by western blotting. The results showed that GK significantly inhibited proliferation of MDA-MB-231, BT-474 and MCF-7 cells in vitro with time and dose dependent manners and induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. GK treatment obviously induced the tumor cells apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth in the MCF-7 xenograft nude mice. GK increased expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-8, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-PARP, and decreased the levels of Bcl-2 and survivin in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, GK treatment up-regulated expression of phospho extracellular-related kinase (p-ERK), p-p38 and phospho Jun-amino-terminal kinase (p-JNK) in MCF-7 cells in vitro, and increased numbers of p-p38, p-JNK and p-ERK positive cells in the tumor tissue in vivo. Strikingly, treatment of p38 inhibitor (or JNK inhibitor; ERK inhibitor) significantly prevented GK induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Collectively, our data exhibit GK exerts well anticancer effects in breast cancer cells, which at least in part, is via activation of the MAPKs. Our results provide a new approach for the treatment of breast cancer.

A Mixture of Extracts of Kochia scoparia and Rosa multiflora with PPAR α/γ Dual Agonistic Effects Prevents Photoaging in Hairless Mice

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) α/γ is known to inhibit the increases in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by ultraviolet light (UV). Extracts of natural herbs, such as Kochia scoparia and Rosa multiflora, have a PPAR α/γ dual agonistic effect. Therefore, we investigated whether and how they have an antiaging effect on photoaging skin. Eighteen-week-old hairless mice were irradiated with UVA 14 J/cm² and UVB 40 mJ/cm² three times a week for 8 weeks. A mixture of extracts of Kochia scoparia and Rosa multiflora (KR) was topically applied on the dorsal skin of photoaging mice twice a day for 8 weeks. Tesaglitazar, a known PPAR α/γ agonist, and vehicle (propylene glycol:ethanol = 7:3, v/v) were applied as positive and negative controls, respectively. Dermal effects (including dermal thickness, collagen density, dermal expression of procollagen 1 and collagenase 13) and epidermal effects (including skin barrier function, epidermal proliferation, epidermal differentiation, and epidermal cytokines) were measured and compared. In photoaging murine skin, KR resulted in a significant recovery of dermal thickness as well as dermal fibroblasts, although it did not change dermal collagen density. KR increased the expression of dermal transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. The dermal effects of KR were explained by an increase in procollagen 1 expression, induced by TGF-β, and a decrease in MMP-13 expression. KR did not affect basal transepidermal water loss (TEWL) or stratum corneum (SC) integrity, but did decrease SC hydration. It also did not affect epidermal proliferation or epidermal differentiation. KR decreased the expression of epidermal interleukin (IL)-1α. Collectively, KR showed possible utility as a therapeutic agent for photoaging skin, with few epidermal side effects such as epidermal hyperplasia or poor differentiation.