Eugenol Enhances the Chemotherapeutic Potential of Gemcitabine and Induces Anticarcinogenic and Anti-inflammatory Activity in Human Cervical Cancer Cells

Monoterpenoid synergy: a new frontier in biological applications

Monoterpenoids, compounds found in various organisms, have diverse applications in various industries. Their effectiveness is influenced by the oil's chemical composition, which in turn is influenced by plant genotype, environmental conditions, cultivation practices, and plant development stage. They are used in various industries due to their distinctive odor and taste, serving as ingredients, additives, insecticides, and repellents. These compounds have synergistic properties, resulting in superior combined effects over discrete ones, potentially beneficial for various health purposes. Many experimental studies have investigated their interactions with other ingredients and their antibacterial, insecticidal, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This review discusses potential synergistic interactions between monoterpenoids and other compounds, their sources, and biological functions. It also emphasizes the urgent need for more research on their bioavailability and toxicity, underlining the importance and relevance of this comprehensive study in the current scientific landscape.

Peimine induces apoptosis of glioblastoma cells through regulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most malignant forms of intracranial tumors, with high mortality rates and invariably poor prognosis, due to the limited clinical treatment strategies available. As a natural compound, peimine's favorable pharmacological activities have been widely revealed. However, potential inhibitory effects of peimine on GBM have not been explored. In the present study, both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to elucidate the effects of peimine on GBM and to further delineate the underlying molecular mechanism of action. Different doses (0, 25 and 50 µM) of peimine were added to U87 cells, before MTT, colony formation, wound healing, Transwell migration and invasion, reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial transmembrane potential assays were used to measure proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Furthermore, western blotting was used to examine the possible effects of peimine on the expression of proteins associated with apoptosis and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Subsequently, a GBM mouse xenograft model was used to assess the effects of peimine in vivo. The findings showed that peimine inhibited GBM proliferation, migration and invasion in a dose-dependent manner, whilst also inducing apoptosis. Peimine also reduced tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, peimine downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase 3, whilst upregulating the protein expression levels of p53, Bax and Cleaved-Caspase 3 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PI3K and AKT phosphorylation levels were found to be decreased by peimine in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, these findings suggest that peimine may limit GBM growth by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo. These findings may have promising clinical implications.

Unraveling cancer progression pathways and phytochemical therapeutic strategies for its management

Cancer prevention is currently envisioned as a molecular-based approach to prevent carcinogenesis in pre-cancerous stages, i.e., dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Cancer is the second-leading cause of mortality worldwide, and a more than 61% increase is expected by 2040. A detailed exploration of cancer progression pathways, including the NF-kβ signaling pathway, Wnt-B catenin signaling pathway, JAK-STAT pathway, TNF-α-mediated pathway, MAPK/mTOR pathway, and apoptotic and angiogenic pathways and effector molecules involved in cancer development, has been discussed in the manuscript. Critical evaluation of these effector molecules through molecular approaches using phytomolecules can intersect cancer formation and its metastasis. Manipulation of effector molecules like NF-kβ, SOCS, β-catenin, BAX, BAK, VEGF, STAT, Bcl2, p53, caspases, and CDKs has played an important role in inhibiting tumor growth and its spread. Plant-derived secondary metabolites obtained from natural sources have been extensively studied for their cancer-preventing potential in the last few decades. Eugenol, anethole, capsaicin, sanguinarine, EGCG, 6-gingerol, and resveratrol are some examples of such interesting lead molecules and are mentioned in the manuscript. This work is an attempt to put forward a comprehensive approach to understanding cancer progression pathways and their management using effector herbal molecules. The role of different plant metabolites and their chronic toxicity profiling in modulating cancer development pathways has also been highlighted.

The Effect of Combined Treatment of Psilocybin and Eugenol on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Brain Inflammation in Mice

Inflammation is an organism’s biological defense mechanism. Acute and chronic inflammation of the body triggers the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways that can affect the content of cytokines in the brain and thus cause brain inflammation. Disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often associated with elevated inflammation. Recently, positive and promising clinical results of psilocybin for the treatment of depression and PTSD were reported. Thus, we decided to test whether psilocybin alone or in combination with eugenol, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, would prevent the increase in or decrease the content of cytokines in the brain of C57BL/6J mice injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Two experiments were performed, one with pre-treatment of mice through gavage with psilocybin (0.88 mg/kg), eugenol (17.6 mg/kg), or combinations of psilocybin and eugenol (1:10, 1:20, or 1:50), followed by intraperitoneal injection of LPS, and the second, post-treatment, with initial injection with LPS, followed by treatment with psilocybin, eugenol, or their combination. Brain tissues were collected, and cytokines were analyzed by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and ELISA. Data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test or with multiple unpaired t-tests. LPS upregulated mRNA expression of COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. All pre-treatments decreased the expression of COX-2 and TNF-α, with psilocybin alone and in 1:50 combination, with eugenol being the most effective. In the post-treatment, all combinations of psilocybin and eugenol were effective in reducing inflammation, with the 1:50 ratio displaying the most prominent results in reducing the mRNA content of tested cytokines. Western blot analysis confirmed the effect on COX-2 and IL-1β proteins. Finally, the ELISA showed that post-treatment with psilocybin + eugenol (1:50) demonstrated the best results, decreasing the expression of multiple markers including IL-6 and IL-8. This demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of psilocybin and eugenol in the brain of animals with systemically induced inflammation.

Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Eugenol in Cancer: Recent Trends and Advancement

BACKGROUND

Cancer is, at present, among the leading causes of morbidity globally. Despite advances in treatment regimens for cancer, patients suffer from poor prognoses. In this context, the availability of vast natural resources seems to alleviate the shortcomings of cancer chemotherapy. The last decade has seen a breakthrough in the investigations related to the anticancer potential of dietary phytoconstituents. Interestingly, a handsome number of bioactive principles, ranging from phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and terpenoids to organosulphur compounds have been screened for their anticancer properties. Among the phenylpropanoids currently under clinical studies for anticancer activity, eugenol is a promising candidate. Eugenol is effective against cancers like breast, cervical, lung, prostate, melanomas, leukemias, osteosarcomas, gliomas, etc., as evident from preclinical investigations.

OBJECTIVE

The review aims to focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of eugenol for cancer prevention and therapy.

METHODS

Based on predetermined criteria, various scholarly repositories, including PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct were analyzed for anticancer activities of eugenol.

RESULTS

Different biochemical investigations reveal eugenol inducing cytotoxicity, inhibiting phases of the cell cycles, programmed cell death, and auto-phagocytosis in studied cancer lines; thus, portraying eugenol as a promising anticancer molecule. A survey of current literature has unveiled the molecular mechanisms intervened by eugenol in exercising its anticancer role.

CONCLUSION

Based on the critical analysis of the literature, eugenol exhibits vivid signaling pathways to combat cancers of different origins. The reports also depict the advancement of novel nano-drug delivery approaches upgrading the therapeutic profile of eugenol. Therefore, eugenol nanoformulations may have enormous potential for both the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Identification of potential inhibitory analogs of metastasis tumor antigens (MTAs) using bioactive compounds: revealing therapeutic option to prevent malignancy

The deeper understanding of metastasis phenomenon and detection of drug targets could be a potential approach to minimize cancer mortality. In this study, attempts were taken to unmask novel therapeutics to prevent metastasis and cancer progression. Initially, we explored the physiochemical, structural and functional insights of three metastasis tumor antigens (MTAs) and evaluated some plant-based bioactive compounds as potent MTA inhibitors. From 50 plant metabolites screened, isoflavone, gingerol, citronellal and asiatic acid showed maximum binding affinity with all three MTA proteins. The ADME analysis detected no undesirable toxicity that could reduce the drug likeness properties of top plant metabolites. Moreover, molecular dynamics studies revealed that the complexes were stable and showed minimum fluctuation at molecular level. We further performed ligand-based virtual screening to identify similar drug molecules using a large collection of 376,342 compounds from DrugBank. The results suggested that several structural analogs (e.g., tramadol, nabumetone, DGLA and hydrocortisone) may act as agonist to block the MTA proteins and inhibit cancer progression at early stage. The study could be useful to develop effective medications against cancer metastasis in future. Due to encouraging results, we highly recommend further in vitro and in vivo trials for the experimental validation of the findings.

Anticancer Effect of Spices Used in Mediterranean Diet: Preventive and Therapeutic Potentials

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with almost 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2020, so any investigation to prevent or cure this disease is very important. Spices have been studied widely in several countries to treat different diseases. However, studies that summarize the potential anticancer effect of spices used in Mediterranean diet are very limited. This review highlighted chemo-therapeutic and chemo-preventive effect of ginger, pepper, rosemary, turmeric, black cumin and clove. Moreover, the mechanisms of action for each one of them were figured out such as anti-angiogenesis, antioxidant, altering signaling pathways, induction of cell apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest, for several types of cancer. The most widely used spice in Mediterranean diet is black pepper (Piper nigrum L). Ginger and black cumin have the highest anticancer activity by targeting multiple cancer hallmarks. Apoptosis induction is the most common pathway activated by different spices in Mediterranean diet to inhibit cancer. Studies discussed in this review may help researchers to design and test new anticancer diets enriched with selected spices that have high activities.

In silico molecular docking and dynamic simulation of eugenol compounds against breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most severe problems, and it is the primary cause of cancer-related death in females worldwide. The adverse effects and therapeutic resistance development are among the most potent clinical issues for potent medications for breast cancer treatment. The eugenol molecules have a significant affinity for breast cancer receptors. The aim of the study has been on the eugenol compounds, which has potent actions on Erα, PR, EGFR, CDK2, mTOR, ERBB2, c-Src, HSP90, and chemokines receptors inhibition. Initially, the drug-likeness property was examined to evaluate the anti-breast cancer activity by applying Lipinski's rule of five on 120 eugenol molecules. Further, structure-based virtual screening was performed via molecular docking, as protein-like interactions play a vital role in drug development. The 3D structure of the receptors has been acquired from the protein data bank and is docked with 87 3D PubChem and ZINC structures of eugenol compounds, and five FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs using AutoDock Vina. Then, the compounds were subjected to three replica molecular dynamic simulations run of 100 ns per system. The results were evaluated using root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), and protein-ligand interactions to indicate protein-ligand complex stability. The results confirm that Eugenol cinnamaldehyde has the best docking score for breast cancer, followed by Aspirin eugenol ester and 4-Allyl-2-methoxyphenyl cinnamate. From the results obtained from in silico studies, we propose that the selected eugenols can be further investigated and evaluated for further lead optimization and drug development.

Anticancer Properties of Eugenol: A Review

Conventional cancer treatments have shown several unfavourable adverse effects, as well as an increase in anticancer drug resistance, which worsens the impending cancer therapy. Thus, the emphasis is currently en route for natural products. There is currently great interest in the natural bioactive components from medicinal plants possessing anticancer characteristics. For example, clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) (Family Myrtaceae) is a highly prized spice that has been historically utilized as a food preservative and for diverse medical uses. It is reckoned amongst the valued sources of phenolics. It is indigenous to Indonesia but currently is cultivated in various places of the world. Among diverse active components, eugenol, the principal active component of S. aromaticum, has optimistic properties comprising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer actions. Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) is a musky oil that is mainly obtained from clove. It has long been utilized all over the world as a result of its broad properties like antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Eugenol continues to pique investigators’ interest because of its multidirectional activities, which suggests it could be used in medications to treat different ailments. Anticancer effects of eugenol are accomplished by various mechanisms like inducing cell death, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of migration, metastasis, and angiogenesis on several cancer cell lines. Besides, eugenol might be utilized as an adjunct remedy for patients who are treated with conventional chemotherapy. This combination leads to a boosted effectiveness with decreased toxicity. The present review focuses on the anticancer properties of eugenol to treat several cancer types and their possible mechanisms.

Pharmacological Properties and Health Benefits of Eugenol: A Comprehensive Review

The biologically active phytochemicals are sourced from edible and medicinally important plants and are important molecules being used for the formulation of thousands of drugs. These phytochemicals have great benefits against many ailments particularly the inflammatory diseases or oxidative stress-mediated chronic diseases. Eugenol (EUG) is a versatile naturally occurring molecule as phenolic monoterpenoid and frequently found in essential oils in a wide range of plant species. EUG bears huge industrial applications particularly in pharmaceutics, dentistry, flavoring of foods, agriculture, and cosmeceutics. It is being focused recently due to its great potential in preventing several chronic conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared EUG as a nonmutant and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) molecule. The available literature about pharmacological activities of EUG shows remarkable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and antimicrobial properties and has a significant effect on human health. The current manuscript summarizes the pharmacological characteristics of EUG and its potential health benefits.

The Effect of Cream and Gel Vehicles on the Percutaneous Absorption and Skin Retention of a New Eugenol Derivative With Antioxidant Activity

The effect of cream and gel vehicles containing clove water on skin permeability was compared for a new eugenol derivative (eugenyl dichloroacetate-EDChA) with antioxidant activity. In vitro permeation experiments were conducted in a Franz cell with porcine skin. The cumulative mass and skin accumulation of EDChA were investigated and compared. The antioxidative capacity of the studied vehicles was determined by using the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical reduction method. The antioxidant activity (evaluated with DPPH, ABTS, and the Folin-Ciocalteu methods) of the fluid that penetrated through the pig skin and of the fluid obtained after the skin extraction, were also determined. For comparison, eugenol was also tested. The results of this work could contribute to the development of vehicles with antioxidant potential estimated after 24 h of conducting the experiment, which indicates long-term protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the deeper layers of the skin. The waste water from the clove buds steam distillation -contains several valuable biologically active compounds, and its use is environmentally friendly. We observed that gel vehicles were the best enhancer of skin permeation for both eugenol and its derivative. In most cases, -similar cumulative masses of eugenol and its ester were found in the acceptor fluid. The accumulation of EDChA was higher for cream vehicles in relation to the parent eugenol when applied onto the skin. The greatest amounts of eugenol were accumulated in the skin when these compounds were used in gel vehicles.

Antitumor effect of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil and its main component terpinen-4-ol in combination with target therapy in melanoma models

Essential oils (EOs) have been recently emerging for their promising biological activities in preventing tumorigenesis or progression of different tumor histotypes, including melanoma. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of a panel of EOs in different tumor models. The ability of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) and its main component, terpinen-4-ol, to sensitize the target therapy currently used for melanoma treatment was also assessed. Our results demonstrated that EOs differently affect the viability of human cancer cells and led us to select six EOs effective in melanoma and lung cancer cells, without toxic effects in human fibroblasts. When combined with dabrafenib and/or trametinib, Melaleuca alternifolia synergistically reduced the viability of melanoma cells by activating apoptosis. Through machine learning classification modeling, α-terpineol, tepinolene, and terpinen-4-ol, three components of Melaleuca alternifolia, were identified as the most likely relevant components responsible for the EO's antitumor effect. Among them, terpinen-4-ol was recognized as the Melaleuca alternifolia component responsible for its antitumor and proapoptotic activity. Overall, our study holds promise for further analysis of EOs as new anticancer agents and supports the rationale for their use to improve target therapy response in melanoma.

Pleiotropic Effects of Eugenol: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

Phytocompounds and medicinal herbs were used in traditional ancient medicine and are nowadays increasingly screened in both experimental and clinical settings due to their beneficial effects in several major pathologies. Similar to the drug industry, phytotherapy is interested in using nanobased delivery systems to view the identification and characterization of the cellular and molecular therapeutic targets of plant components. Eugenol, the major phenolic constituent of clove essential oil, is a particularly versatile phytochemical with a vast range of therapeutic properties, among which the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic effects have been systematically addressed. In the past decade, with the emerging understanding of the role of mitochondria as critical organelles in the pathophysiology of noncommunicable diseases, research regarding the role of phytochemicals as modulators of bioenergetics and metabolism is on a rise. Here, we present a brief overview of the major pharmacological properties of eugenol, with special emphasis on its applications in dental medicine, and provide preliminary data regarding its effects, alone, and included in polyurethane nanostructures, on mitochondrial bioenergetics, and glycolysis in human HaCaT keratinocytes.

Epigenetic immunomodulatory effect of eugenol and astaxanthin on doxorubicin cytotoxicity in hormonal positive breast Cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Hormonal receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed molecular subtype of breast cancer; which showed good response to doxorubicin (DOX)-based chemotherapy. Eugenol (EUG) and astaxanthin (AST) are natural compounds with proved epigenetic and immunomodulatory effects in several cancer cell lines. This study has been initiated to investigate the molecular mechanism (s) whereby EUG and AST could enhance DOX cytotoxicity in MCF7 cells.

METHODS

Cytotoxic activity of DOX alone and combined with either 1 mM EUG or 40 μM AST was performed using sulphorhodamine-B assay in MCF7 cells. Global histones acetylation and some immunological markers were investigated using ELISA, western blotting and quantitative RT-PCR techniques. Functional assay of multidrug resistance was performed using rhodamine 123 and Hoechst 3342 dyes. Flow cytometry with annexin V and propidium iodide were used to assess the change in cell cycle and apoptosis along with the expression of some differentiation, apoptosis and autophagy proteins.

RESULTS

DOX alone resulted in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity with IC50 of 0.5 μM. Both EUG and AST significantly increased DOX cytotoxicity which is manifested as a significant decrease in DOX IC50 from 0.5 μM to 0.088 μM with EUG and to 0.06 μM with AST. Combinations of DOX with 1 mM EUG or 40 μM AST significantly increased the level of histones acetylation and histone acetyl transferase expression, while reduced the expression of aromatase and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) when compared with 0.25 μM DOX alone. Also both combinations showed higher uptake of rhodamine but lower of Hoechst stains, along with increased the percentage of caspase 3, and decreased the expression of CK7 and LC3BI/II ratio. EUG combination induced IFγ but reduced TNFα causing shifting of cells from G2/M to S and G0/ G1 phases. Combination of DOX with EUG induced apoptosis through the higher BAX/ BCl2 ratio, while with AST was through the increase in caspase 8 expressions.

CONCLUSION

EUG and AST potentiated the anticancer activity of DOX through epigenetic histones acetylation along with the immunonomodulation of different apoptotic approaches in MCF7 cells.

Dietary isothiocyanates inhibit cancer progression by modulation of epigenome

Cell cycle, growth, survival and metabolism are tightly regulated together and failure in cellular regulation leads to carcinogenesis. Several signaling pathways like the PI3K, WNT, MAPK and NFKb pathway exhibit aberrations in cancer and help achieve hallmark capabilities. Clinical research and in vitro studies have highlighted the role of epigenetic alterations in cancer onset and development. Altered gene expression patterns enabled by changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and RNA processing have proven roles in cancer hallmark acquisition. The reversible nature of epigenetic processes offers robust therapeutic targets. Dietary bioactive compounds offer a vast compendium of effective therapeutic moieties. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) sourced from cruciferous vegetables demonstrate anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-migratory and anti-angiogenic effect against several cancers. ITCs also modulate the redox environment, modulate signaling pathways including PI3K, MAPK, WNT, and NFkB. They also modulate the epigenetic machinery by regulating the expression and activity of DNA methyltransferases, histone modifiers and miRNA. This further enhances their transcriptional modulation of key cellular regulators. In this review, we comprehensively assess the impact of ITCs such as sulforaphane, phenethyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate and allyl isothiocyanate on cancer and document their effect on various molecular targets. Overall, this will facilitate consolidation of the current understanding of the anti-cancer and epigenetic modulatory potential of these compounds and recognize the gaps in literature. Further, we discuss avenues of future research to develop these compounds as potential therapeutic entities.

Anterior gradient 2 is a novel pro-tumor factor in pancreatic cancer under NF-κB subunit RelA trans-regulation that can be suppressed by eugenic acid

This study aimed to examine eugenic acid (EA) as an alternative therapeutic approach against pancreatic cancer. The pancreatic cancer xenograft mouse model was employed to determine the impacts of treatment with EA on the growth of tumors. Expressions of NF-κB subunit RelA as well as Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) were quantified in pancreatic cells treated with EA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase report assay were performed to examine the regulation of AGR2 by RelA. The function of AGR2 as a downstream effector EA treatment was further assessed through overexpression of AGR2 in pancreatic cells. EA suppressed the growth of xenograft pancreatic tumor, and promoted the overall survival of animals with xenograft tumors. Furthermore, EA downregulated the expression of AGR2 in pancreatic cancer cells via the RelA binding site. Ectopic AGR2 overexpression attenuated the EA-elicited inhibition on the growth of xenograft pancreatic tumor, and negated the EA-induced enhancement of mouse survival. EA ameliorates pancreatic cancer through suppression of AGR2 expression, and future studies in clinical settings are needed to further assess the anti-cancer efficacy of EA.

Antitumoral Properties of the Nutritional Supplement Ocoxin Oral Solution: A Comprehensive Review

Ocoxin Oral Solution (OOS) is a nutritional supplement whose formulation includes several plant extracts and natural products with demonstrated antitumoral properties. This review summarizes the antitumoral action of the different constituents of OOS. The action of this formulation on different preclinical models as well as clinical trials is reviewed, paying special attention to the mechanism of action and quality of life improvement properties of this nutritional supplement. Molecularly, its mode of action includes a double edge role on tumor biology, that involves a slowdown in cell proliferation accompanied by cell death induction. Given the safety and good tolerability of OOS, and its potentiation of the antitumoral effect of other standard of care drugs, OOS may be used in the oncology clinic in combination with conventional therapies.

A novel series of substituted 1,2,3-triazoles as cancer stem cell inhibitors: Synthesis and biological evaluation

An alarming increase in global death toll resulting from cancer incidents, particularly due to multidrug resistance and reduced efficacy as a consequence of target mutations, has compelled us to look for novel anticancer agents. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), contributing majorly to the chemoresistance and tumor relapse, seem to the main culprits. In the present investigation, new chemical entities (NCEs) belonging to four novel chemical series (A: 4'-allyl-2'-methoxyphenoxymethyl-1,2,3-triazoles; B: 4'-acetamidophenoxymethyl-1,2,3-triazoles; C: naphthalene-1'-yloxymethyl-1,2,3-triazoles, and D: naphthalene-2'-yloxymethyl-1,2,3-triazoles) were synthesized via Copper (I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction and evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity. A total of 30 NCEs (39-68) were screened at 10 μM concentration in cell viability assay against cancer cell lines such as breast (MDA-MB-231), prostate (PC-3), glioma (U87 MG), along with cervical (SiHa) and lung (A549). The NCEs from Series C (56-60) and D (61-68) were more potent than those in Series A (39-45) and Series B (46-55) at the tested concentration. Furthermore, NCEs with >80% inhibition at 10 μM were evaluated for dose response. A total of five NCEs, 48, 56, 61, 65 and 66, were further assessed in soft-agar assay and found to be relatively potent (IC₅₀  < 10 μM). Finally, the hits were screened in sphere assay to identify potential CSC inhibitors against mammospheres (MDA-MB-231) and prostatospheres (PC-3). More so, the hits were also evaluated to understand in vitro cytotoxicity against normal cells using mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line (NIH/3T3) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs). Overall, hits 56 and 61 exhibited potent anticancer as well as CSC inhibitory activities with notably less toxicity toward NIH/3T3 and hPBMCs. On the whole, our arduous study led to the identification of potential hits with anticancer and CSC inhibitory activities, with minimal or no toxicity to normal cells.

trans-Anethole Abrogates Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis through the Mitochondrial-Mediated Pathway in Human Osteosarcoma Cells

trans-Anethole, the major bioactive component of Illicium verum Hook. commonly known as star anise exhibits various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, insecticidal, and antitumor. Osteosarcoma is an extremely aggressive malignant bone tumor that affects children and young adults and accounts for around 60% of all sarcomas. The study was planned to evaluate the potential of trans-Anethole against Human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. The antiproliferative activity of trans-Anethole was assessed by MTT assay. trans-Anethole exhibited apoptotic cell death as monitored by confocal/electron microscopy and flow cytometry studies. Modulation of gene expression was studied by Western blot and RT-PCR analysis. The present study revealed that trans-Anethole inhibited osteosarcoma proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with a GI₅₀ value of 60.25 µM and showed pro-apoptotic activity as analyzed by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that trans-Anethole induced cell cycle arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase with the generation of reactive oxygen species and reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Immunoblotting results showed the increased expression of caspase-9/-3, p53, and decreased expression of Bcl-xL suggesting the involvement of the p53 and mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. This work provides a rationale that trans-Anethole might be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic/nutraceutical agent for the management of osteosarcoma.Highlightstrans-Anethole inhibited cell growth and caused G₀/G₁ arrest in Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line.trans-Anethole led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane permeability along with ROS generation.trans-Anethole upregulates the expression of p53, Caspase-9/-3, and downregulate Bcl-xL expression.

Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, inter-action energy and DFT studies of 4-[(4-allyl-2-meth-oxy-phen-oxy)meth-yl]-1-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole

In the title mol-ecule, C20H21N3O3, the allyl substituent is rotated out of the plane of its attached phenyl ring [torsion angle 100.66 (15)°]. In the crystal, C-HMthphn⋯OMthphn (Mthphn = meth-oxy-phen-yl) hydrogen bonds lead to the formation of (100) layers that are connected into a three-dimensional network by C-H⋯π(ring) inter-actions, together with π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.7318 (10) Å] between parallel phenyl rings. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H⋯H (48.7%) and H⋯C/C⋯H (23.3%) inter-actions. Computational chemistry reveals that the C-HMthphn⋯OMthphn hydrogen bond energy is 47.1 kJ mol-1. The theoretical structure, optimized by density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/ 6-311 G(d,p) level, is compared with the experimentally determined mol-ecular structure. The HOMO-LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

Response surface optimization of biocompatible elastic nanovesicles loaded with rosuvastatin calcium: enhanced bioavailability and anticancer efficacy

Statins are mainly used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, but recently, their anticancer role was extremely investigated. The goal of this study was to statistically optimize novel elastic nanovesicles containing rosuvastatin calcium to improve its transdermal permeability, bioavailability, and anticancer effect. The elastic nanovesicles were composed of Tween® 80, cetyl alcohol, and clove oil. The nanodispersions were investigated for their entrapment efficiency, particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, and elasticity. The optimized elastic nanovesicular dispersion is composed of 20% cetyl alcohol, 53.47% Tween 80, and 26.53% clove oil. Carboxy methylcellulose was utilized to convert the optimized elastic nanovesicular dispersion into elastic nanovesicular gels. Both the optimized dispersion and the optimized gel (containing 2% w/v carboxymethylcellulose) were subjected to in vitro release study, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, histopathological evaluation, and ex vivo permeation. The cell viability assay of the optimized gel on MCF-7 and Hela cell lines showed significant antiproliferative and potent cytotoxic effects when compared to the drug gel. Moreover, the optimized gel accomplished a significant increase in rosuvastatin bioavailability upon comparison with the drug gel. The optimized gel could be considered as a promising nanocarrier for statins transdermal delivery to increase their systemic bioavailability and anticancer effect. Graphical abstract.

Synergic effects of aerobic exercise and eugenol supplement on germ cell development and testicular tissue structure in chlorpyrifos-treated animal model

Insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) with increased oxidative stress, structural destruction, and hemostasis of testicular tissue leads to male infertility. The present study investigated the protective effect of exercise (Exe) and eugenol supplementation (Sup) on CPF-induced testicular spermatogenic disorders in male rats. In this experimental study, 21 adult male albino rats were divided into seven groups, control (Co: 6 weeks), CPF (6 weeks), Co + Oil (2 weeks healthy food and 4 weeks oil), Co + Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO: 6 weeks), CPF + Sup (2 weeks CPF and 4 weeks CPF + Sup), CPF + Exe (2 weeks CPF and 4 weeks CPF + Exe), and CPF + Exe + Sup (2 weeks CPF and 4 weeks CPF + Exe + Sup) group. All treatments were done intraperitoneally (5 days a week). Exe groups were subjected to run at moderate exercise intensity for 5 days per week over 6 weeks. DMSO groups were administered to the equal volume of vehicle for 6 consecutive weeks. Finally, the animals were sacrificed with Co2 gas and then alterations in testicular histology and sperm parameters were evaluated. Protein expression of PLZF and IGFα in the CPF group showed a significant decrease compared with the control group (p ˂ 0.001 for both). It was shown that CPF + Exe + Sup (p ˂ 0.001) and CPF + Sup (p ˂ 0.01) groups had a significant increase in protein expression of PLZF, but the protein expression of IGFα showed a significant increase just in the CPF + Exe + Sup group (p ˂ 0.001). Also, CPF caused a significant decrease in Leydig counts, Sertoli cell count, spermatogonium counts, spermatocyte cell count, spermatid cell count, and tunica thickness as well as a significant increase in testicle diameter (p ˂ 0.01) and ducts diameter compared with the control group. It seems that aerobic exercise with eugenol supplementation suppresses the disruption effects of CPF on testicular tissue (cellular and structural) by increasing the antioxidant capacity and improving the secretion of sex hormones. Therefore, the aerobic exercise with supplement of the eugenol has potential therapeutic targets for male infertility that need further study.

Apoptotic Inducement of Neuronal Cells by Aluminium Chloride and the Neuroprotective Effect of Eugenol in Wistar Rats

Aluminium is known to accelerate oxidative stress, amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, and plaque formation in the brain of rats. Objective. The present study is aimed at studying the neuroprotective effects of eugenol following aluminium-induced neurotoxicity on caspase-3, apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bax), and oxidative stress markers in Wistar rats such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), nitric oxide (NO), and assay oxidative stress to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by measuring the levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Materials and methods. Twenty (20) adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four (4) groups with five animals in each group. Route of administration was oral throughout the duration of this study and this study lasted for 21 days. Rats were sacrificed 24 hours after administration of the last dose (i.e., day 22) with 0.8 mg/kg ketamine as an anaesthetic agent. Results. Exposure to AlCl₃ resulted in a significant (p < 0.01) elevation in the levels of nitric oxide and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), enhanced the activity of caspase-3, increased the level of proapoptotic protein Bax and reduced the levels of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, and significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the levels of SOD and GPx. However, treatment with eugenol resulted in a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, inhibited the activity of caspase-3, increased levels of Bcl-2 and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced levels of Bax protein, respectively, and also significantly (p < 0.05) increased the levels of SOD and GPx. Our results would hereby suggest that eugenol would provide a therapeutic value against aluminium-induced oxidative stress as related to antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities.

Eugenol Exerts Apoptotic Effect and Modulates the Sensitivity of HeLa Cells to Cisplatin and Radiation

Eugenol is a phytochemical present in different plant products, e.g., clove oil. Traditionally, it is used against a number of different disorders and it was suggested to have anticancer activity. In this study, the activity of eugenol was evaluated in a human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line and cell proliferation was examined after treatment with various concentrations of eugenol and different treatment durations. Cytotoxicity was tested using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme leakage. In order to assess eugenol’s potential to act synergistically with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cell survival was calculated after eugenol treatment in combination with cisplatin and X-rays. To elucidate its mechanism of action, caspase-3 activity was analyzed and the expression of various genes and proteins was checked by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Eugenol clearly decreased the proliferation rate and increased LDH release in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. It showed synergistic effects with cisplatin and X-rays. Eugenol increased caspase-3 activity and the expression of Bax, cytochrome c (Cyt-c), caspase-3, and caspase-9 and decreased the expression of B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2, cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) indicating that eugenol mainly induced cell death by apoptosis. In conclusion, eugenol showed antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects via apoptosis and also synergism with cisplatin and ionizing radiation in the human cervical cancer cell line.

Quercetin modulates signaling pathways and induces apoptosis in cervical cancer cells

Cancer cells have the unique ability to overcome natural defense mechanisms, undergo unchecked proliferation and evade apoptosis. While chemotherapeutic drugs address this, they are plagued by a long list of side effects and have a poor success rate. This has spurred researchers to identify safer bioactive compounds that possess chemopreventive and therapeutic properties. A wide range of experimental as well as epidemiological data encourage the use of dietary agents to impede or delay different stages of cancer. In the present study, we have examined the anti-ancer property of ubiquitous phytochemical quercetin by using cell viability assay, flow cytometry, nuclear morphology, colony formation, scratch wound assay, DNA fragmentation and comet assay. Further, qPCR analysis of various genes involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, metastasis and different signal transduction pathways was performed. Proteome profiler was used to quantitate the expression of several of these proteins. We find that quercetin decreases cell viability, reduces colony formation, promotes G2-M cell cycle arrest, induces DNA damage and encourages apoptosis. Quercetin induces apoptosis via activating both apoptotic pathways with a stronger effect of the extrinsic pathway relying on the combined power of TRAIL, FASL and TNF with up-regulation of caspases and pro-apoptotic genes. Quercetin could inhibit anti-apoptotic proteins by docking studies. Further, quercetin blocks PI3K, MAPK and WNT pathways. Anticancer effect of quercetin observed in cell-based assays were corroborated by molecular biology studies and yielded valuable mechanistic information. Quercetin appears to be a promising candidate with chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential and warrants further research.

Anti-cancer effects of cinnamon: Insights into its apoptosis effects

Cancer is known as a leading cause of death worldwide. In the last two decades, the incidence of cancer has been dramatically increased mostly due to lifestyle changes. The importance of this issue has attracted further attention to discover novel therapies to prevent and treat cancers. According to previous studies, drugs used to treat cancer have shown significant limitations. Therefore, the role of herbal medicines alone or in combination with chemotherapy drugs has been extensively studied in cancer treatment. Cinnamon is a natural component showing a wide range of pharmacological functions including anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-cancer activities. Impaired apoptosis plays critical roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. Increasing evidence indicates that cinnamon, as a therapeutic agent, has anti-cancer effects via affecting numerous apoptosis-related pathways in cancer cells. Here, we highlighted anticancer properties of cinnamon, particularly through targeting apoptosis-related mechanisms.

Les huiles essentielles comme agents anticancéreux : actualité sur le mode d’action

Le cancer est une maladie complexe qui présente un réel problème de santé publique à travers le monde et cause statiquement sept millions de décès chaque année. Au cours des dernières décennies, la thérapie anticancéreuse a connu un réel bouleversement et un foisonnement de découvertes fondamentales. Plusieurs études accumulatives ont révélé l’activité antitumorale des substances naturelles isolées à partir de plantes. Les huiles essentielles (HE) et leurs constituants ont montré des activités anticancéreuses puissantes in vitro et in vivo. Cependant, les mécanismes d’action sont encore peu étudiés et moins connus. Par ailleurs, leur application dans l’industrie pharmaceutique nécessite une spécificité– sélectivité pharmacodynamique absolue. Dans le présent travail, nous présentons une synthèse des travaux réalisés sur les mécanismes d’actions anticancéreuses des HE et leurs composés bioactifs.

Integrative natural medicine inspired graphene nanovehicle-benzoxazine derivatives as potent therapy for cancer

Natural products from medicinal plants have always attracted a lot of attention due to their diverse and interesting therapeutic properties. We have employed the principles of green chemistry involving isomerization, coupling and condensation reaction to synthesize a class of compounds derived from eugenol, a naturally occurring bioactive phytophenol. The compounds were characterized structurally by ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analysis. The purity of compounds was detected by HPLC. The synthesized compounds exhibited anti-cancer activity. A 10-12-fold enhancement in efficiency of drug molecules (~ 1 µM) was observed when delivered with graphene oxide (GO) as a nanovehicle. Our data suggest cell death via apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner due to increase in calcium levels in specific cancer cell lines. Interestingly, the benzoxazine derivatives of eugenol with GO nanoparticle exhibited enhanced therapeutic potential in cancer cells. In addition to anti-cancer effect, we also observed significant role of these derivatives on parasite suggesting its multi-pharmacological capability.

An Overview on the Anti-inflammatory Potential and Antioxidant Profile of Eugenol

The bioactive compounds found in foods and medicinal plants are attractive molecules for the development of new drugs with action against several diseases, such as those associated with inflammatory processes, which are commonly related to oxidative stress. Many of these compounds have an appreciable inhibitory effect on oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and may contribute in a preventive way to improve the quality of life through the use of a diet rich in these compounds. Eugenol is a natural compound that has several pharmacological activities, action on the redox status, and applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Considering the importance of this compound, the present review discusses its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, demonstrating its mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Extracts of Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Potentiate FMSP-Nanoparticles Induced Cell Death in MCF-7 Cells

Both nanoparticles and cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) possess anticancer properties, but they do not elicit a significant response on cancer cells when treated alone. In the present study, we have tested fluorescent magnetic submicronic polymer nanoparticles (FMSP-nanoparticles) in combination with crude clove extracts on human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) to examine whether the combination approach enhance the cancer cell death. The MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations (1.25 μg/mL, 12.5 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 75 μg/mL, and 100 μg/mL) of FMSP-nanoparticles alone and in combination with 50 μg/mL crude clove extracts. The effects of FMSP-nanoparticles alone and combined with clove extracts were observed after 24 hrs and 48 hrs intervals. The response of FMSP-nanoparticles-treated cells was evaluated by Trypan Blue, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, respectively. We have demonstrated that cancer cell viability was decreased to 55.40% when treated with FMSP-nanoparticles alone, whereas when cancer cells were treated with FMSP-nanoparticles along with crude clove extracts, the cell viability was drastically decreased to 8.50%. Both morphological and quantitative data suggest that the combination of FMSP-nanoparticles plus crude clove extracts are more effective in treating cancer cells and we suggest that the combination treatment of nanoparticles along with clove extracts hold a great promise for the cancer treatments.

Cinnamon in Anticancer Armamentarium: A Molecular Approach

In recent years, natural bioactive components draw a major attention for their potent anticarcinogenic activity. Cinnamon, one of the traditional spices, most frequently used in almost every household of tropical countries has got enormous efficacy to combat cancer. Cinnamon as a whole and/or its active components exhibited significant antineoplastic activity in different types of cancer. This review has been carried out to elicit the molecular mechanisms of action of cinnamon and its components on oncogenic regulators and related pathways. Web sites of Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed were searched for articles written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals from 2003 to 2017. The anticarcinogenic potential of cinnamon varies with the type of cancer and also depends on the administered active compound individually or in combination with some chemicals or even extract of cinnamon as a whole. Some of its active components exert chemosensitization of well-known anticancer drugs. These outstanding properties of this spice necessitate its incorporation in both pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to explore possibilities of formulation of novel drug from this spice for treatment and prevention strategy of cancer.

Chronic diseases, inflammation, and spices: how are they linked?

Extensive research within the last several decades has revealed that the major risk factors for most chronic diseases are infections, obesity, alcohol, tobacco, radiation, environmental pollutants, and diet. It is now well established that these factors induce chronic diseases through induction of inflammation. However, inflammation could be either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation persists for a short duration and is the host defense against infections and allergens, whereas the chronic inflammation persists for a long time and leads to many chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, respiratory diseases, etc. Numerous lines of evidence suggest that the aforementioned risk factors induced cancer through chronic inflammation. First, transcription factors NF-κB and STAT3 that regulate expression of inflammatory gene products, have been found to be constitutively active in most cancers; second, chronic inflammation such as pancreatitis, prostatitis, hepatitis etc. leads to cancers; third, activation of NF-κB and STAT3 leads to cancer cell proliferation, survival, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis; fourth, activation of NF-κB and STAT3 leads to resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, and hypoxia and acidic conditions activate these transcription factors. Therefore, targeting these pathways may provide opportunities for both prevention and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases. We will discuss in this review the potential of various dietary agents such as spices and its components in the suppression of inflammatory pathways and their roles in the prevention and therapy of cancer and other chronic diseases. In fact, epidemiological studies do indicate that cancer incidence in countries such as India where spices are consumed daily is much lower (94/100,000) than those where spices are not consumed such as United States (318/100,000), suggesting the potential role of spices in cancer prevention.

Eugenol enhances proliferation and migration of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have received considerable attention in regenerative medicine during the past decade. Eugenol is a natural and versatile vegetable molecule, which has a wide variety of therapeutic effects. Although different biological and pharmaceutical functions of Eugenol are well known, its effect on MSCs has not been studied yet. Therefore, this study was focused on investigating the effect of Eugenol on the proliferation and migration of bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs in vitro. To do so, BM-MSCs were isolated from 4 to 8 weeks old NMRI mice. Cytotoxicity of Eugenol on MSCs was evaluated by MTT assay at 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment. In addition, its effect was assessed on the proliferation and migration of MSCs using wound healing assay in vitro and quantitative gene expression analysis for Oct4, Sox2, Cyclin-D1, Rex1, Tex10, Cxcr4, Vla4 and c-Met. Results showed that Eugenol reduced the number of MSCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The median inhibition concentration of Eugenol on MSCs was 400 μg/ml at 24 and 48 h and 200 μg/ml at 72 h after treatment. Moreover, about 90% viability of MSCs was detected at concentrations ≤12.5 μg/ml. The wound healing assay and gene expression analysis demonstrated that Eugenol promoted the migratory potential of MSCs through up-regulation of c-Met. Moreover, Eugenol has enhanced the proliferation of MSCs via over-expression of Sox2, Rex1 and Tex10. In conclusion, this study revealed that Eugenol enhances the proliferation and migration of MSCs, and thus this will be beneficial to the field of regenerative medicine.

Eugenol triggers CD11b+Gr1+myeloid-derived suppressor cell apoptosisviaendogenous apoptosis pathway

To study the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of eugenol on CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). The effect of eugenol on the inhibition of immortalized MDSC cell line MSC-2 and murine peritoneal macrophages was detected by MTT. Flow cytometry was used to detect the pro-apoptosis effect of eugenol on MDSCs. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins were detected by western blot. Eugenol has a selective inhibitory effect on MDSCs in a dose-dependent manner, which activates an endogenous apoptosis pathway, leading to apoptosis. Eugenol promotes the apoptosis of MDSCs via the intrinsic pathway.

To study the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of eugenol on CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs).

The Dual Antioxidant/Prooxidant Effect of Eugenol and Its Action in Cancer Development and Treatment

The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during metabolism is a normal process usually compensated for by the antioxidant defense system of an organism. However, ROS can cause oxidative damage and have been proposed to be the main cause of age-related clinical complications and diseases such as cancer. In recent decades, the relationship between diet and cancer has been more studied, especially with foods containing antioxidant compounds. Eugenol is a natural compound widely found in many aromatic plant species, spices and foods and is used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Eugenol has a dual effect on oxidative stress, which can action as an antioxidant or prooxidant agent. In addition, it has anti-carcinogenic, cytotoxic and antitumor properties. Considering the importance of eugenol in the area of food and human health, in this review, we discuss the role of eugenol on redox status and its potential use in the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Eugenol potentiates cisplatin anti-cancer activity through inhibition of ALDH-positive breast cancer stem cells and the NF-κB signaling pathway

Triple-negative breast tumors are very aggressive and contain relatively high proportion of cancer stem cells, and are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs including cisplatin. To overcome these limitations, we combined eugenol, a natural polyphenolic molecule, with cisplatin to normalize cisplatin mediated toxicity and potential drug resistance. Interestingly, the combination treatment provided significantly greater cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects as compared to treatment with eugenol or cisplatin alone on several triple-negative breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, adding eugenol to cisplatin potentiated the inhibition of breast cancer stem cells by inhibiting ALDH enzyme activity and ALDH-positive tumor initiating cells. We provide also clear evidence that eugenol potentiates cisplatin inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Indeed, the binding of NF-κB to its cognate binding sites present in the promoters of IL-6 and IL-8 was dramatically reduced, which led to potent down-regulation of the IL-6 and IL-8 cytokines upon combination treatment relative to the single agents. Similar effects were observed on proliferation, inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness markers in tumor xenografts. These results provide strong preclinical justification for combining cisplatin with eugenol as therapeutic approach for triple-negative breast cancers through targeting the resistant ALDH-positive cells and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

Eugenol inhibits oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation via downregulation of c-Myc/PGC-1β/ERRα signaling pathway in MCF10A-ras cells

Alteration in cellular energy metabolism plays a critical role in the development and progression of cancer. Targeting metabolic pathways for cancer treatment has been investigated as potential preventive or therapeutic methods. Eugenol (Eu), a major volatile constituent of clove essential oil mainly obtained from Syzygium, has been reported as a potential chemopreventive drug. However, the mechanism by which Eu regulates cellular energy metabolism is still not well defined. This study was designed to determine the effect of Eu on cellular energy metabolism during early cancer progression employing untransformed and H-ras oncogene transfected MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. Eu showed dose-dependent selective cytotoxicity toward MCF10A-ras cells but exhibited no apparent cytotoxicity in MCF10A cells. Treatment with Eu also significantly reduced intracellular ATP levels in MCF10A-ras cells but not in MCF10A cells. This effect was mediated mainly through inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexs and the expression of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) proteins including PPARα, MCAD and CPT1C by downregulating c-Myc/PGC-1β/ERRα pathway and decreasing oxidative stress in MCF10A-ras cells. These results indicate a novel mechanism involving the regulation of cellular energy metabolism by which Eu may prevent breast cancer progression.

Pharmacodynamics and Medicinal Chemistry of an External Chinese Herbal Formula for Mammary Precancerous Lesions

Ruyan Neixiao Cream (RYNXC) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula for treating mammary precancerous disease. This study was carried out to investigate in vivo anticancer effect of RYNXC and multiple constituents. 32 virginal Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank control group (BC), mammary precancer models group (MODEL), tamoxifen group (TAM), and Ruyan Neixiao Cream group (RYNXC). TAM was intervened by tamoxifen; RYNXC was intervened by Ruyan Neixiao Cream. The chromatographic separation was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). RYNXC showed significant improvement in erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI), hematocrit (HCT), fibrinogen (FIB), spleen coefficient, and uterus coefficient compared with MODEL. In RYNXC and TAM groups, atypical hyperplasia was observed in pathological mammary tissues; meanwhile in MODEL group, ductal carcinoma was observed in situ. Moreover, fifteen compounds were characterized according to HPLC-MS data, including organic acids, tannin, alkaloid, volatile oil, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. The study suggests that RYNXC was an effective Chinese herbal formula for mammary precancerous lesions and provides a scientific basis for the quality standard and the pharmacology of RYNXC. It will be beneficial to the future clinical application of RYNXC.

Eugenol alleviated breast precancerous lesions through HER2/PI3K-AKT pathway-induced cell apoptosis and S-phase arrest

Eugenol can be separated from the oil extract of clove bud, and has many pharmacological functions such as anticancer and transdermal absorption. HER2/PI3K-AKT is a key signaling pathway in the development of breast cancer. In this study, 80 μM eugenol could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HER-2 positive MCF-10AT cells and the inhibition rate was up to 32.8%, but had no obvious inhibitory effect on MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells with HER2 weak expression. Eugenol also significantly induced human breast precancerous lesion MCF-10AT cell apoptosis and cell cycle S-phase arrest, but the biological effects nearly disappeared after HER2 over-expression through transfecting pcDNA3.1-HER2. In MCF-10AT cells treated by 180 μM eugenol, the protein expressions of HER2, AKT, PDK1, p85, Bcl2, NF-κB, Bad and Cyclin D1 were decreased and the decreased rates were respectively 63.0%, 60.0%, 52.9%, 62.9%, 37.1%, 47.2%, 61.7%, 59.1%, while the p21, p27 and Bax expression were increased by 4.48-, 4.76- and 2.57-fold respectively. In the rat models of breast precancerous lesion, 1 mg eugenol for external use significantly inhibited the progress of breast precancerous lesion and the occurrence rate of breast precancerous lesions and invasive carcinomas was decreased by about 30.5%. Furthermore eugenol for external (1 mg) markedly decreased the protein expressions of HER2 (62.9%), AKT (58.6%), PDK1 (56.4%), p85 (54.3%), Bcl2 (59.3%), NF-κB (65.7%), Bad (64.0%), Cyclin D1 (43.0%), while p21, p27 and Bax protein expressions were respectively increased 1.83-, 2.52- and 2.51-fold. The results showed eugenol could significantly inhibit the development of breast precancerous lesions by blocking HER2/PI3K-AKT signaling network. So eugenol may be a promising external drug for breast precancerous lesions.

Essential oil eugenol: sources, extraction techniques and nutraceutical perspectives

Graphical representation regarding sources, extraction techniques and nutraceutical perspectives of eugenol.

Targeting arachidonic acid pathway by natural products for cancer prevention and therapy

Arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, a metabolic process, plays a key role in carcinogenesis. Hence, AA pathway metabolic enzymes phospholipase A₂s (PLA₂s), cyclooxygenases (COXs) and lipoxygenases (LOXs) and their metabolic products, such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes, have been considered novel preventive and therapeutic targets in cancer. Bioactive natural products are a good source for development of novel cancer preventive and therapeutic drugs, which have been widely used in clinical practice due to their safety profiles. AA pathway inhibitory natural products have been developed as chemopreventive and therapeutic agents against several cancers. Curcumin, resveratrol, apigenin, anthocyans, berberine, ellagic acid, eugenol, fisetin, ursolic acid, [6]-gingerol, guggulsteone, lycopene and genistein are well known cancer chemopreventive agents which act by targeting multiple pathways, including COX-2. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid and baicalein can be chemopreventive molecules against various cancers by inhibiting LOXs. Several PLA₂s inhibitory natural products have been identified with chemopreventive and therapeutic potentials against various cancers. In this review, we critically discuss the possible utility of natural products as preventive and therapeutic agents against various oncologic diseases, including prostate, pancreatic, lung, skin, gastric, oral, blood, head and neck, colorectal, liver, cervical and breast cancers, by targeting AA pathway. Further, the current status of clinical studies evaluating AA pathway inhibitory natural products in cancer is reviewed. In addition, various emerging issues, including bioavailability, toxicity and explorability of combination therapy, for the development of AA pathway inhibitory natural products as chemopreventive and therapeutic agents against human malignancy are also discussed.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Oxyalkylated Derivatives of 2',4'-Dihydroxychalcone as Anti-Oomycete Agents against Bronopol Resistant Strains of Saprolegnia sp

A series of novel oxyalkylchalcones substituted with alkyl groups were designed and synthesized, and the antioomycete activity of the series was evaluated in vitro against Saprolegnia strains. All tested O-alkylchalcones were synthesized by means of nucleophilic substitution from the natural compound 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone (1) and the respective alkyl bromide. The natural chalcone (1) and 10 synthetic oxyalkylchalcones (2–11) were tested against Saprolegnia parasitica and Saprolegnia australis. Among synthetic analogs, 2-hydroxy,4-farnesyloxychalcone (11) showed the most potent activity against Saprolegnia sp., with MIC and MOC values of 125 µg/mL (similar to bronopol at 150 µg/mL) and 175 µg/mL, respectively; however, 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone (1) was the strongest and most active molecule, with MIC and MOC values of 6.25 µg/mL and 12.5 µg/mL.

Spices for Prevention and Treatment of Cancers

Spices have been widely used as food flavorings and folk medicines for thousands of years. Numerous studies have documented the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of spices, which might be related to prevention and treatment of several cancers, including lung, liver, breast, stomach, colorectum, cervix, and prostate cancers. Several spices are potential sources for prevention and treatment of cancers, such as Curcuma longa (tumeric), Nigella sativa (black cumin), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Allium sativum (garlic), Crocus sativus (saffron), Piper nigrum (black pepper) and Capsicum annum (chili pepper), which contained several important bioactive compounds, such as curcumin, thymoquinone, piperine and capsaicin. The main mechanisms of action include inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion of tumors, and sensitizing tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This review summarized recent studies on some spices for prevention and treatment of cancers, and special attention was paid to bioactive components and mechanisms of action.

The effect of clove-based herbal mouthwash on radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a single-blind randomized preliminary study

Purpose

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of clove-based herbal mouthwash in ameliorating radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer.

Methods

Fourteen patients were prospectively enrolled in this study and randomized to either an experimental group or a control group. The patients of the experimental group swished their mouths with a clove-based herbal mouthwash during radiotherapy (RT), while the patients of the control group swished with clear water. The primary end point of this study was incidence of radiation-induced oral mucositis. The secondary end points were time to onset of radiation-induced oral mucositis, duration of radiation-induced oral mucositis, incidence of supplemental nutrition through feeding tube, maximum pain score, body weight loss, incidence of RT interruption, and duration of RT interruption.

Results

The use of clove-based herbal mouthwash shortened the duration of grade ≥2 mucositis (24.3 days vs 37.1 days, P=0.044) and reduced body weight loss during RT (3.1% vs 7.4%, P=0.023) compared with clear water. The use of clove-based herbal mouthwash also reduced the incidence of grade 3 mucositis (28.6% vs 57.1%), supplemental nutrition (0% vs 28.6%), and RT interruption (14.3% vs 28.6%), and reduced the duration of grade 3 mucositis (5.1 days vs 17.7 days) and RT interruption (1 days vs 8.5 days). In addition, clove-based herbal mouthwash delayed the time to onset of mucositis (26.6 days vs 24.5 days) and reduced the maximum pain score (4.1 vs 4.9). However, these differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Although we could not find significant differences in some end points, this single-blind randomized study showed that a clove-based herbal mouthwash can have a potentially beneficial effect on minimizing or preventing radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. To confirm the results of our study, well-designed randomized studies with large sample sizes will be required.