Astaxanthin Combine with Human Serum Albumin to Abrogate Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Drug-resistant in Human Ovarian Carcinoma SKOV3 Cells

Astaxanthin from microalgae: A review on structure, biosynthesis, production strategies and application

Astaxanthin is a red-colored secondary metabolite with excellent antioxidant properties, typically finds application as foods, feed, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and medications. Astaxanthin is usually produced synthetically using chemicals and costs less as compared to the natural astaxanthin obtained from fish, shrimps, and microorganisms. Over the decades, astaxanthin has been naturally synthesized from Haematococcus pluvialis in commercial scales and remains exceptional, attributed to its higher bioactive properties as compared to synthetic astaxanthin. However, the production cost of algal astaxanthin is still high due to several bottlenecks prevailing in the upstream and downstream processes. To that end, the present study intends to review the recent trends and advancements in astaxanthin production from microalgae. The structure of astaxanthin, sources, production strategies of microalgal astaxanthin, and factors influencing the synthesis of microalgal astaxanthin were discussed while detailing the pathway involved in astaxanthin biosynthesis. The study also discusses the relevant downstream process used in commercial scales and details the applications of astaxanthin in various health related issues.

SPC212 human mesothelioma cells underwent apoptosis, oxidative stress, and morphological deformation following Astaxanthin treatment

Astaxanthin (ASX) is one of the keto-carotenoids, which is biologically more active than other counterparts. Besides its variety of beneficial effects, it was reported to exert anticancer effects. Despite its utilization against different cancer types, the effect of ASX on mesothelioma has yet to be well-studied. In this study, our goal is to ascertain how ASX will affect SPC212 human mesothelioma cells. First, the effective doses of ASX against SPC212 cells were investigated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Thereafter, with flow cytometry analysis, Annexin-V and caspase 3/7 assay were implemented for the evaluation of apoptotic cell death and an oxidative stress test was carried out to determine how the free radicals changed. Ultimately, the cells' morphology was examined under a light microscope. The effective doses of ASX were found as 50, 100, and 200 µM. In the Annexin V assay, the total apoptosis increased to around 12%, 30%, and 45% with increasing doses of ASX. In the caspase 3/7 assay, the total apoptosis was around 25% and 38% at 100 and 200 µM. In oxidative stress analysis, reactive oxygen species-positive cells rose from 4.54 at the lowest dose to 86.95 at the highest dose. In morphological analysis, cellular shrinkage, decrease in cell density, swelling and vacuolations in some cells, membrane blebbing, and apoptotic bodies are observed in ASX-treated cells. To conclude, the current study provided insights into the efficacy and effects of ASX against SPC212 mesothelioma cells regarding morphology, proliferation, and cell death for future studies.

Interactions between Human Serum Albumin and Sulfadimethoxine Determined Using Spectroscopy and Molecular Docking

Sulfonamides are widely used antibiotics in agricultural production. However, the potential threat of these drugs to human health has increased global concern. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the main reservoir and transporter of exogenous small molecules in humans. In this study, the interaction between sulfadimethoxine (SMT) and human serum albumin (HSA) was studied using spectroscopy and computer simulation. Our results showed that the hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces drove SMT to enter the binding site I of HSA spontaneously and resulted in the fluorescence quenching of HSA. The stability of the HSA–SMT complex decreased with an increase in temperature. The binding of SMT to HSA induced alterations in the secondary structure of HSA, where the content of α-helix decreased from 61.0% of the free state to 59.0% of the compound state. The π–π, π–σ, and π–alkyl interactions between HSA and SMT were found to play important roles in maintaining the stability of the complex.

Prognostic and Clinicopathological Correlations of Pretreatment Prognostic Nutritional Index in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was indicted as a potential prognostic biomarker for cancer. However, the conclusion remains uncertain for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study was to confirm the association of PNI with prognosis and clinicopathological features in RCCs.

METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wan Fang databases were searched to retrieve eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to assess the strength of the association.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies were included. The results showed a low pretreatment PNI level was significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.45-1.92), progression-free survival (HR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.23-2.42), cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09-1.26), disease-free survival (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09-1.26), and recurrence-free survival (HR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.38-3.31). This prognostic role of PNI was almost not changed by subgroup analysis based on study design, HR source, RCC type, sample size, cutoff, follow-up, treatment, and country. Furthermore, low PNI was correlated with old age, large tumor size and high T stage, Fuhrman grade, lymph node, and distant metastases.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment PNI might be a promising indicator to beforehand predict the progression and prognosis for RCC patients.

Inhibitory Effect of Astaxanthin on Gene Expression Changes in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Human Gastric Epithelial Cells

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection promotes gastric carcinogenesis by increasing oxidative stress, inflammation, and dysregulation of cell survival and proliferation of gastric epithelial cells. Astaxanthin (ASTX), a bioactive carotenoid, exhibits antioxidant and anticancer effects by modulating aberrant signaling pathways that lead to dysregulation of cell death and proliferation. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of H. pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis and to examine the inhibitory effect of ASTX on H. pylori-induced gastric epithelial cell gene expression changes, we performed comparative RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis for H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells treated with or without ASTX. RNA-Seq results reveal that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in H. pylori-infected cells were mainly associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which is related to cell proliferation. ASTX significantly reversed H. pylori-induced transcriptional alterations of the key mediators involved in β-catenin signaling, notably, porcupine (gene symbol, PORCN), spermine oxidase (SMOX), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI), SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1), Fos-like 1 (FOSLI), and c-myc (MYC). We suggest that ASTX may be a potential therapeutic agent that can suppress H. pylori-induced proliferation-associated gene expression changes, in part, by counter-regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Cancer Chemopreventive Role of Dietary Terpenoids by Modulating Keap1-Nrf2-ARE Signaling System—A Comprehensive Update

ROS, RNS, and carcinogenic metabolites generate excessive oxidative stress, which changes the basal cellular status and leads to epigenetic modification, genomic instability, and initiation of cancer. Epigenetic modification may inhibit tumor-suppressor genes and activate oncogenes, enabling cells to have cancer promoting properties. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the NFE2L2 gene, and is activated in response to cellular stress. It can regulate redox homoeostasis by expressing several cytoprotective enzymes, including NADPH quinine oxidoreductase, heme oxygenase-1, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, etc. There is accumulating evidence supporting the idea that dietary nutraceuticals derived from commonly used fruits, vegetables, and spices have the ability to produce cancer chemopreventive activity by inducing Nrf2-mediated detoxifying enzymes. In this review, we discuss the importance of these nutraceuticals in cancer chemoprevention and summarize the role of dietary terpenoids in this respect. This approach was taken to accumulate the mechanistic function of these terpenoids to develop a comprehensive understanding of their direct and indirect roles in modulating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling system.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Effects of Microalgal Carotenoids

Acute inflammation is a key component of the immune system’s response to pathogens, toxic agents, or tissue injury, involving the stimulation of defense mechanisms aimed to removing pathogenic factors and restoring tissue homeostasis. However, uncontrolled acute inflammatory response may lead to chronic inflammation, which is involved in the development of many diseases, including cancer. Nowadays, the need to find new potential therapeutic compounds has raised the worldwide scientific interest to study the marine environment. Specifically, microalgae are considered rich sources of bioactive molecules, such as carotenoids, which are natural isoprenoid pigments with important beneficial effects for health due to their biological activities. Carotenoids are essential nutrients for mammals, but they are unable to synthesize them; instead, a dietary intake of these compounds is required. Carotenoids are classified as carotenes (hydrocarbon carotenoids), such as α- and β-carotene, and xanthophylls (oxygenate derivatives) including zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, lutein, α- and β-cryptoxanthin, and canthaxanthin. This review summarizes the present up-to-date knowledge of the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of microalgal carotenoids both in vitro and in vivo, as well as the latest status of human studies for their potential use in prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer.

Analysis of astaxanthin molecular targets based on network pharmacological strategies

In order to further explore the potential pharmacological activity of astaxanthin (AST), network pharmacological approaches were employed in this work to systematically investigate its affinity targets, perturbed signaling pathways, and related disease applications. First, potential targets were captured based on AST chemical structure information. Enrichment analysis was then performed using bioinformatics tools to predict the biological processes and diseases in which AST targets are involved. The results suggest that AST is involved in steroid hormone metabolism, and the regulation of glucocorticoids may be one of the potential mechanisms of its known therapeutic effects on depression and insulin resistance. Molecular docking experiments confirmed that AST can form stable binding to several key nodes (SRD5A2, STS, AKR1C2, HSD11B1, and CYP17A1) in steroid hormone biosynthesis. More importantly, the molecular targets of AST were the most significantly associated with endometriosis. Functionally, grouped analysis of key therapeutic nodes was carried out by establishing the interaction network between drug targets and disease targets. While exerting inflammatory effects, the regulation of estrogen and other semiochemicals by targeting steroid metabolism may be the biological basis for the potential treatment of endometriosis with AST. This work provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the pharmacological mechanisms of AST and development of new therapeutic applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In this study, systematic pharmacological methods were used to identify the potential therapeutic effects and associated mechanisms of astaxanthin, providing a bioinformatics basis for further exploration of astaxanthin's new pharmacological properties in foods.

Multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking studies of human serum albumin interactions with sulfametoxydiazine and sulfamonomethoxine

Sulfonamides are a kind of antibiotics which have been widely used as feed additives for livestock and poultry. However, sulfa drugs have raised worldwide concerns because of their adverse impact on human health. In this study, two sulfonamides, sulfametoxydiazine (SMD) and sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), were selected to explore the binding modes with human serum albumin (HSA). The spectroscopic approaches revealed that SMD or SMM could spontaneously enter into the binding site I of HSA through hydrogen bond interactions and van der Waals forces, and that SMD exhibited much stronger binding affinity toward HSA than SMM at different temperatures (p < 0.01, n = 3). The binding constants for SMD-HSA and SMM-HSA were determined to be (8.297 ± 0.010) × 10⁴ L·mol^-1 and (1.178 ± 0.008) × 10⁴ L·mol^-1 at 298 K, respectively. The interaction of SMD or SMM to HSA induced microenvironmental and conformational changes in HSA, where SMD had a greater effect on the α-helix content of HSA. Results from molecular docking implied that the amino acid residues of HSA, such as Arg222, Ala291 and Leu238, played key roles in the sulfonamide-HSA binding process. Meanwhile, hydrogen bonds might be a key factor contributing to the binding affinity of sulfa drugs and HSA. Additionally, the combined use of SMD and SMM led to an obvious variation in K_a values of binary systems (p < 0.01, n = 3). These findings might be helpful to understand the biological effects of sulfonamides in humans.

Phytochemicals in Gynecological Cancer Prevention

Gynecological cancer confers an enormous burden among women worldwide. Accumulating evidence points to the role of phytochemicals in preventing cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. Experimental studies emphasize the chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of plant-derived substances by inhibiting the early stages of carcinogenesis or improving the efficacy of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Moreover, a number of epidemiological studies have investigated associations between a plant-based diet and cancer risk. This literature review summarizes the current knowledge on the phytochemicals with proven antitumor activity, emphasizing their effectiveness and mechanism of action in gynecological cancer.

Carotenoids in Cancer Metastasis-Status Quo and Outlook

Metastasis represents a major obstacle in cancer treatment and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Therefore, the identification of compounds targeting the multi-step and complex process of metastasis could improve outcomes in the management of cancer patients. Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments with a plethora of biological activities. Carotenoids exert a potent anti-cancer capacity in various cancer models in vitro and in vivo, mediated by the modulation of signaling pathways involved in the migration and invasion of cancer cells and metastatic progression, including key regulators of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and regulatory molecules, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and others. Moreover, carotenoids modulate the expression of genes associated with cancer progression and inflammatory processes as key mediators of the complex process involved in metastasis. Nevertheless, due to the predominantly preclinical nature of the known anti-tumor effects of carotenoids, and unclear results from certain carotenoids in specific cancer types and/or specific parts of the population, a precise analysis of the anti-cancer effects of carotenoids is essential. The identification of carotenoids as effective compounds targeting the complex process of cancer progression could improve the outcomes of advanced cancer patients.

GDF15 Repression Contributes to 5-Fluorouracil Resistance in Human Colon Cancer by Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Apoptosis

Chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is the standard approach for colon cancer treatment, and resistance to 5-FU is a significant obstacle in the clinical treatment of colon cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying 5-FU resistance in colon cancer cells remain largely unknown. This study aimed at determining whether 5-FU-resistant colon cancer cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and apoptosis and the role of GDF15—a member of the transforming growth factor β/bone morphogenetic protein super family and a protein known to be involved in cancer progression—in the regulation of EMT and apoptosis of these cells, along with the underlying mechanisms. In vitro apoptosis detection assay, growth inhibition assay, transwell, and wound healing experiments revealed that 5-FU-resistant colon cancer cells possessed enhanced EMT and antiapoptotic ability. These cells also showed a stronger tendency to proliferate and metastasize in vivo. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blotting revealed that 5-FU-resistant colon cancer cells expressed lower levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) than did 5-FU-sensitive colon cancer cells. Moreover, the transient GDF15 overexpression resensitized 5-FU-resistant colon cells to 5-FU. Collectively, these findings indicate the mechanism underlying the 5-FU resistance of colon cancer cells and provide new therapeutic targets for improving the prognosis of colon cancer patients.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Inhibitory Effect of Astaxanthin on Helicobacter pylori-Induced Gastric Carcinoma Cell Motility

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection promotes the metastasis of gastric carcinoma cells by modulating signal transduction pathways that regulate cell proliferation, motility, and invasion. Astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, is known to inhibit cancer cell migration and invasion, however the mechanism of action of ASTX in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells is not well understood. To gain insight into this process, we carried out a comparative RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of human gastric cancer AGS (adenocarcinoma gastric) cells as a function of H. pylori infection and ASTX administration. The results were used to identify genes that are differently expressed in response to H. pylori and ASTX. Gene ontology (GO) analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to be associated with cell cytoskeleton remodeling, motility, and/or migration. Among the 20 genes identified, those encoding c-MET, PI3KC2, PLCγ1, Cdc42, and ROCK1 were selected for verification by real-time PCR analysis. The verified genes were mapped, using signaling networks contained in the KEGG database, to create a signaling pathway through which ASTX might mitigate the effects of H. pylori-infection. We propose that H. pylori-induced upregulation of the upstream regulator c-MET, and hence, its downstream targets Cdc42 and ROCK1, is suppressed by ASTX. ASTX is also suggested to counteract H. pylori-induced activation of PI3K and PLCγ. In conclusion, ASTX can suppress H. pylori-induced gastric cancer progression by inhibiting cytoskeleton reorganization and reducing cell motility through downregulation of c-MET, EGFR, PI3KC2, PLCγ1, Cdc42, and ROCK1.

Astaxanthin anticancer effects are mediated through multiple molecular mechanisms: A systematic review

During the latest decades, the interest on the effectiveness of natural compounds and their impact on human health constantly increased, especially on those demonstrating to be effective on cancer. Molecules coming from nature are currently used in chemotherapy like Taxol, Vincristine or Vinblastine, and several other natural substances have been showed to be active in reducing cancer cell progression and migration. Among them, astaxanthin, a xanthophyll red colored carotenoid, displayed different biological activities including, antinflammatory, antioxidant, proapoptotic, and anticancer effects. It can induce apoptosis through downregulation of antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2, p-Bad, and survivin) expression and upregulation of proapoptotic ones (Bax/Bad and PARP). Thanks to these mechanisms, it can exert anticancer effects towards colorectal cancer, melanoma, or gastric carcinoma cell lines. Moreover, it possesses antiproliferative activity in many experimental models and enhances the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapic drugs on tumor cells underling its potential future use. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on the anticancer potential of astaxanthin by modulating several molecular targets. While it has been clearly demonstrated its multitarget activity in the prevention and regression of malignant cells in in vitro or in preclinical investigations, further clinical studies are needed to assess its real potential as anticancer in humans.

The Role of the Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenger Agent, Astaxanthin, in the Protection of Cisplatin-Treated Patients Against Hearing Loss

Emerging evidence of significant hearing loss occurring shortly after cisplatin administration in cancer patients has stimulated research into the causes and treatment of this side effect. Although the aetiology of cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL) remains unknown, an increasing body of research suggests that it is associated with excessive generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cochlea. Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll carotenoid, has powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties based on its unique cell membrane function, diverse biological activities, and ability to permeate the blood-brain barrier. In this review, we summarize the role of ROS in CIHL and the effect of astaxanthin on inhibiting ROS production. We focus on investigating the mechanism of action of astaxanthin in suppressing excessive production of ROS.