Natural Polyphenols as Targeted Modulators in Colon Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Applications

Changes in Faecal Microbiota Profile and Plasma Biomarkers following the Administration of an Antioxidant Oleuropein-Rich Leaf Extract in a Rat Model Mimicking Colorectal Cancer

Oleuropein (OLE), a phenolic compound particularly abundant in the olive leaves, has been reported to have beneficial activities against colorectal cancer (CRC). In vitro studies suggested that these latter could be due to a modulation of the intestinal microbiota. Aiming to evaluate if OLE could affect the intestinal microbiota and the plasma metabolome, an antioxidant oleuropein-rich leaf extract (ORLE) was administered for one week to PIRC rats (F344/NTac-Apcam1137), a genetic model mimicking CRC. ORLE treatment significantly modulated the gut microbiota composition. Plasma metabolomic profiles revealed a significant predictive ability for amino acids, medium-chain fatty acids, and aldehydes. Pathway analysis revealed a significant decrease in phosphatidylcholine accumulation (LogFC = -1.67) in PIRC rats. These results suggest a significant effect of ORLE administration on faecal microbiota profiles and plasma metabolomes, thereby offering new omics-based insights into its protective role in CRC progression.

Natural Polyphenols in Cancer Management: Promising Role, Mechanisms, and Chemistry

BACKGROUND

Although cancers emerge rapidly and cancer cells divide aggressively, which affects our vital organ systems. Recently, cancer treatments are targeted immune systems mediating intrinsic cellular mechanisms. Natural efficacious polyphenols have been exhibited to help prevent most cancers and reverse the progression of cancers.

METHODS

Many resources have been used to know the promising role of polyphenols in preventing and treating cancers. The electronic databases include Science Direct, Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. The search was limited to the English language only.

RESULTS

Polyphenols have been reported as anti-metastatic agents that explore the promising role of these compounds in cancer prevention. Such agents act through many signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt and TNF-induced signaling pathways. The chemical modifications of polyphenols and the structure-activity relationships (SARs) between polyphenols and anticancer activities have also been discussed.

CONCLUSION

Many research papers were reported to explain the anti-cancer potential of Polyphenols, The SARs between polyphenols and anti-cancer activities, which correlate structures of polyphenols with significant chemotherapeutic action. The mechanism of anti-cancer potential is to be added for searching for new anti-cancer natural products.

Construction of a Prognostic Model Based on Methylation-Related Genes in Patients with Colon Adenocarcinoma

Purpose

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is the second leading cause of death in the world, and the new incidence rate ranks third among all cancers. Abnormal DNA methylation is related to the occurrence and development of tumors. In this study, we aimed to identify genes associated with abnormal methylation in COAD.

Methods

COAD transcriptome data, methylation data and clinical information were downloaded from the TCGA database and GEO database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and methylated genes (DMGs) were analyzed and identified in COAD. PCA analysis was applied to divide COAD into subtypes, and the survival and immune cell infiltration of each subtype were evaluated. Cox and LASSO analyses were performed to construct COAD risk model. GSEA was used to evaluate the enrichment pathways. The Kaplan-Meier was used to analyze the difference in survival. ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the accuracy of the model, and GSE17536 was used to verify the accuracy of the risk model. The risk model is combined with the clinicopathological characteristics of COAD patients to perform multivariate Cox regression analysis to obtain independent risk factors and draw nomograms.

Results

In total, 4564 DEGs and 1093 DMGs were screened, among which 298 were found to be overlapping genes. For 220 of these overlapping genes, the methylation was significantly negatively correlated to expression levels. An optimal signature from 4 methylated biomarkers was identified to construct the prognostic model.

Conclusion

Our study identified 4 methylated biomarkers in the COAD. Then, we constructed the risk model to provide a theoretical basis and reference value for the research and treatment of COAD.

Advances in the role of gut microbiota in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment (Review)

As a protector of human health, the gut microbiota plays an important role in the development of the immune system during childhood, and the regulation of dietary habits, metabolism and immune system during adulthood. Dysregulated gut flora is not pathogenic, but it can weaken the protective effect of the immune system and cause various diseases. The tumor microenvironment is a physiological environment formed during tumor growth, which provides nutrients and growth factors necessary for tumor growth. As an important factor affecting the tumor microenvironment, the intestinal microflora affects the development of tumors through the mechanisms of gut and microflora metabolites, gene toxins and signaling pathways. The present article aimed to review the components and mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and biological targets of gut microbiota in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment. The present review provides novel insights for the future use of intestinal flora, to regulate the tumor microenvironment, to intervene in the occurrence, development, treatment and prognosis of tumors.

Rosmarinic acid alleviates intestinal inflammatory damage and inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress and smooth muscle contraction abnormalities in intestinal tissues by regulating gut microbiota

The host-bacterial interactions play the key role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dysbiosis of the intestinal flora can lead to pathological changes in the intestine. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural phenolic acid compound with antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-fibrotic, and anti-bacterial activities that has a palliative effect on acute IBD. We have established an in vivo model for mice. Histological staining was performed to directly observe RA alterations in the intestinal tract. The alteration of RA on mouse intestinal flora was observed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, and the effect of RA on intestinal mechanism of action was detected by qPCR and western blot. The results showed that RA had a significant protective effect on the intestine. RA upregulated the abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii and Candidatus Arthromitus sp SFB-mouse-NL and downregulated the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Escherichia coli, and Romboutsia ilealis. RA downregulated the expressions of ROCK, RhoA, CaM, MLC, MLCK, ZEB1, ZO-1, ZO-2, occludin, E-cadherin, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, GRP78, PERK, IRE1, ATF6, CHOP, Caspase12, Caspase9, Caspase3, Bax, Cytc, RIPK1, RIPK3, MLKL, and upregulated the expression of IL-10 and Bcl-2. These results displayed that RA inhibited the inflammation, which is caused by tight junction damage, by repairing intestinal flora dysbiosis, relieved endoplasmic reticulum stress, inhibited cell death, and corrected smooth muscle contractile dysregulation. The results of this study revealed RA could have a protective effect on the small intestine of mice by regulating intestinal flora. IMPORTANCE Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, remitting disorder of the gastrointestinal system. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of rosmarinic acid on the intestinal tract. The results showed that RA was effective in reducing inflammatory damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, smooth muscle contraction abnormalities, and regulating intestinal flora disorders.

Pentagalloyl Glucose: A Review of Anticancer Properties, Molecular Targets, Mechanisms of Action, Pharmacokinetics, and Safety Profile

Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) is a natural hydrolyzable gallotannin abundant in various plants and herbs. It has a broad range of biological activities, specifically anticancer activities, and numerous molecular targets. Despite multiple studies available on the pharmacological action of PGG, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of PGG are unclear. Here, we have critically reviewed the natural sources of PGG, its anticancer properties, and underlying mechanisms of action. We found that multiple natural sources of PGG are available, and the existing production technology is sufficient to produce large quantities of the required product. Three plants (or their parts) with maximum PGG content were Rhus chinensis Mill, Bouea macrophylla seed, and Mangifera indica kernel. PGG acts on multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways associated with the hallmarks of cancer to inhibit growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis of several cancers. Moreover, PGG can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy by modulating various cancer-associated pathways. Therefore, PGG can be used for treating different human cancers; nevertheless, the data on the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of PGG are limited, and further studies are essential to define the clinical use of PGG in cancer therapies.

Anti-inflammatory strategies for photothermal therapy of cancer

High temperature generated by photothermal therapy (PTT) can trigger an inflammatory response at the tumor site, which not only limits the efficacy of PTT but also increases the risk of tumor metastasis and recurrence. In light of the current limitations posed by inflammation in PTT, several studies have revealed that inhibiting PTT-induced inflammation can significantly improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the research progress made in combining anti-inflammatory strategies to enhance the effectiveness of PTT. The goal is to offer valuable insights for developing better-designed photothermal agents in clinical cancer therapy.

Investigation of composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic characteristics from Juniperus sabina and Ferula communis extracts

Plants have been one the most valuable sources of biologically active compounds. This study investigates the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of methanolic and ethanolic extracts from Juniperus sabina and Ferula communis leaves, grown in Cyprus. Total phenolic and flavonoids content of methanol and ethanol extracts were quantified. Chemical constituents of the leaf extracts were analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Mome inositol was the predominant component in the J. Sabina's extracts. The most dominant component in F. communis ethanolic extract was phytol, while in FCL methanolic extract 1,3,4,5 tetrahydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging ability. Antioxidant activity results revealed concentration dependent activity for methanolic and ethanolic extracts from the plant leaves. Antibacterial activity of plant extracts was tested against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria using disk diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration methods. Cytotoxic activity of plant extracts were evaluated on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, where they demonstrated their potential on the viability of both cell lines. The biological activity revealed by plants is due to the bioactive compounds found in the extracts. These bioactive components could be used as anticancer drug candidates.

Plant Polyphenol Gossypol Induced Cell Death and Its Association with Gene Expression in Mouse Macrophages

Gossypol is a complex plant polyphenol reported to be cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory, but little is known about its effect on gene expression in macrophages. The objective of this study was to explore gossypol’s toxicity and its effect on gene expression involved in the inflammatory response, glucose transport and insulin signaling pathways in mouse macrophages. Mouse RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with multiple concentrations of gossypol for 2–24 h. Gossypol toxicity was estimated by MTT assay and soluble protein content. qPCR analyzed the expression of anti-inflammatory tristetraprolin family (TTP/ZFP36), proinflammatory cytokine, glucose transporter (GLUT) and insulin signaling genes. Cell viability was greatly reduced by gossypol, accompanied with a dramatic reduction in soluble protein content in the cells. Gossypol treatment resulted in an increase in TTP mRNA level by 6–20-fold and increased ZFP36L1, ZFP36L2 and ZFP36L3 mRNA levels by 26–69-fold. Gossypol increased proinflammatory cytokine TNF, COX2, GM-CSF, INFγ and IL12b mRNA levels up to 39–458-fold. Gossypol treatment upregulated mRNA levels of GLUT1, GLUT3 and GLUT4 genes as well as INSR, AKT1, PIK3R1 and LEPR, but not APP genes. This study demonstrated that gossypol induced macrophage death and reduced soluble protein content, which was accompanied with the massive stimulation of anti-inflammatory TTP family and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression, as well as the elevation of gene expression involved in glucose transport and the insulin signaling pathway in mouse macrophages.

In Vitro Hypoglycemic Potential, Antioxidant and Prebiotic Activity after Simulated Digestion of Combined Blueberry Pomace and Chia Seed Extracts

This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic potential, antioxidant activity and prebiotic activity of a hydroalcoholic extract of blueberry pomace (BP), an aqueous extract of chia seeds (CS) and a novel combination of BP–CS extracts (BCM) for further use as ingredient of functional food. Spectrometric and HPLC analyses were used to characterize the total phenolic and flavonoid content and composition of BP, while CS was analyzed for total carbohydrate content. Data showed that the BCM mixture exerted an inhibition of α-amylase activity, which was 1.36 times higher than that of BP and 1.25 higher than CS extract. The mixture also showed better scavenging activity of free DPPH radicals than individual extracts, and had an IC50 value of 603.12 µg/mL. In vitro testing indicated that both serum- and colon-reaching products of simulated intestinal digestion of BCM presented the capacity to protect Caco-2 intestinal cells against oxidative stress by inhibition of reactive oxygen species production. In addition, the colon-reaching product of BCM digestion had the capacity to significantly (p < 0.05) stimulate the growth of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, revealing a prebiotic potential. All these results indicated that improved biological activity of the novel combination of BP and CS extracts could be due to the synergistic action of constituents. The combination is recommended for further testing and the development of novel functional food for controlling type 2 diabetes and gastrointestinal conditions.

Phloretin induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis by suppressing the β-catenin signaling pathway in colorectal carcinoma cells

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer, causing a significant mortality worldwide. Present available therapies are surgery, chemotherapy including radiotherapy, and these are known to be associated with heavy side effects. Therefore, nutritional intervention in the form of natural polyphenols has been well recognised to prevent CRC. Phloretin, a known dihydrochalcone is present in apple, pear and strawberry. This has been proven to induce apoptosis in cancer cells and also exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, thus can be explored as a potential anticancer nutraceutical agent. This study demonstrated phloretin's significant in vitro anticancer activity against CRC. Phloretin suppressed cell proliferation, colony forming ability and cellular migration in human colorectal cancer HCT-116 and SW-480 cells. Results also revealed that phloretin generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) which provoked depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and further contributed to cytotoxicity in colon cancer cells. Phloretin also modulated the cell cycle regulators including cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and halted cell cycle at G2/M phase. Moreover, it also induced apoptosis by regulating the expression of Bax and BCl-2. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling is inactivated by phloretin by targeting the downstream oncogenes namely CyclinD1, c-Myc and Survivin which are involved in the proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cells. In our study we showed that lithium chloride (LiCl) induced the expression of β-catenin and its target genes and the co-treatment of phloretin circumvent its effect and downregulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, our results strongly suggested that phloretin can be utilized as a nutraceutical anticancer agent for combating CRC.

Identification of Bcl2 as a Stably Expressed qPCR Reference Gene for Human Colon Cancer Cells Treated with Cottonseed-Derived Gossypol and Bioactive Extracts and Bacteria-Derived Lipopolysaccharides

Cottonseed contains many bioactive molecules including plant polyphenols. Cottonseed value might be increased by providing high-value bioactive polyphenols for improving nutrition and health. However, there was a lack of molecular evidence for cottonseed bioactivity in mammalian cells. One widely used method for evaluating the bioactivity of natural products is quantitative real-time-PCR (qPCR). The selection of stably expressed internal reference genes is a crucial task of qPCR assay for data analysis. The rationale for reference gene selection is that a lower standard deviation of the cycle of threshold (Cq) among the treatments indicates a more stable expression of the gene. The objective of this study was to select reference genes in human colon cancer cells (COLO 205) treated with cottonseed-derived gossypol and bioactive extracts along with bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharides (LPS). SYBR Green qPCR was used to analyze the mRNA levels of a wide range of biomarkers involved in glucose transport, lipid biosynthesis, inflammatory response, and cancer development. qPCR data (10,560 Cq values) were generated from 55 genes analyzed from 64 treatments with triplicate per treatment for each gene. The data showed that B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) mRNA was the most stable among the 55 mRNAs analyzed in the human colon cancer cells. Glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (Gapdh) and ribosome protein L32 (Rpl32) mRNAs were not good qPCR references for the colon cancer cells. These observations were consistent regardless of the treatment comparison between gossypol and LPS, glanded and glandless seed extracts, seed coat and kernel extracts, or treatment for 8 and 24 h. These results suggest that Bcl2 is a preferable reference gene for qPCR assays in human colon cancer cells treated with cottonseed-derived gossypol and bioactive extracts as well as LPS. The extensive qPCR results firmly support the conclusion that the Bcl2 gene is stably expressed at the mRNA level in the human colon cancer cells regardless of the treatment, suggesting that Bcl2 gene expression is not regulated at the mRNA level but at the post-transcriptional level. These results should facilitate studies designated to evaluate bioactivity on gene expression regulation by cottonseed molecules and other natural and synthetic molecules for nutrition and health uses.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Aralia elata Extract Against Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis in Mice and Raw 264.7 Macrophage Cells Exposed to Lipopolysaccharide: First Report

Aralia elata (AE) is an anti-inflammatory, polyphenolic containing medicinal plant. However, little is known about AE and its application to ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to confirm AE extract's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro. The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring total polyphenol and flavonoid content in AE extract. AE extract (10 000 mg/L) contained 186.8 mg GAE/g polyphenol and 81.9 mg QE/g flavonoid. Mice were divided into 6 groups, including control, which received normal saline, and treatment groups, which received dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) with or without AE extract (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were divided into 2 groups: control and treatment. RAW 264.7 macrophage cells treated with sterile double distilled water, 1 mg/L lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and AE extracts (25, 50, 75, 100 µg/mL) were used to assess the cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity. High-performance liquid chromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and histology were employed to analyze the AE extract contents, nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, as oxidative stress markers. In addition, the disease activity index (DAI) and cytotoxicity were determined in mice and cells, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that AE extract is rich in chlorogenic acid (96 ± 0.01 mg/g). DSS increased the DAI and levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and immune cell infiltration compared with those of the control animals. Furthermore, LPS eventually reduced cell viability and increased the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in contrast to control cells. After treatment, a noticeable reduction was observed in the levels of DAI, NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 compared to those without AE treatments. Overall, AE extract is safe and had anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, AE extract can be considered a potential pre-treatment supplement for UC.

Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review

Plants produce polyphenols, which are considered highly essential functional foods in our diet. They are classified into several groups according to their diverse chemical structures. Flavanoids, lignans, stilbenes, and phenolic acids are the four main families of polyphenols. Several in vivo and in vitro research have been conducted so far to evaluate their health consequences. Polyphenols serve a vital function in the protection of the organism from external stimuli and in eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are instigators of several illnesses. Polyphenols are present in tea, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables with the potential to positively influence human health. For instance, cocoa flavan-3-ols have been associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and diabetes. Polyphenols in the diet also help to improve lipid profiles, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. Quercetin, a flavonoid, and resveratrol, a stilbene, have been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Dietary polyphenols potential to elicit therapeutic effects might be attributed, at least in part, to a bidirectional association with the gut microbiome. This is because polyphenols are known to affect the gut microbiome composition in ways that lead to better human health. Specifically, the gut microbiome converts polyphenols into bioactive compounds that have therapeutic effects. In this review, the antioxidant, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and anti-diabetic actions of polyphenols are described based on findings from in vivo and in vitro experimental trials. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden has been increasing worldwide due to the sedentary lifestyle and several other factors such as smoking, junk food, etc. Scientific literature evidence supports the use of plant-based food polyphenols as therapeutic agents that could help to alleviate NCD's burden. Thus, consuming polyphenolic compounds from natural sources could be an effective solution to mitigate NCDs concerns. It is also discussed how natural antioxidants from medicinal plants might help prevent or repair damage caused by free radicals, such as oxidative stress.

Efficacy and Safety of rCCK96-104PE38 Targeted Drug in the General Surgical Treatment of Colon Cancer

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the rCCK96-104PE38 targeted drug in patients with colon cancer in general surgery, data of 80 patients with colon cancer who were admitted to the hospital from April 2019 to July 2021 were selected and randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the treatment group were treated with the rCCK96-104PE38 targeted drug, and those in the control group were treated with oxaliplatin. The treatment efficiency and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. The inverse cholecystokinin (CCK96-104) was fused with pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin (PE38 toxin) through the gene amplification technique to construct a prokaryotic expression vector. Then, the rCCK96-104PE38 was purified by Ni-nitrilotriacetate (Ni-NTA) affinity chromatography, and the antitumor activity of rCCK96-104PE38 was verified. The results showed that the amplified rCCK96-104PE38 sequence was correct and the pET-28a prokaryotic expression system was adopted to successfully achieve active expression. The purified recombinant protein could induce the apoptosis of colon cancer cells in vitro and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. The total effective rate in the treatment group (80%, 32/40) was higher than that in the control group (60%, 24/40) (P < 0.05). To sum up, the recombinant toxin rCCK96-104PE38 could not only specifically adsorb the colon cancer cells with high expression of CCK2R but also effectively inhibit tumor tissue growth and proliferation. Besides, the rCCK96-104PE38 protein had a good anticancer effect that helped effectively reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in patients, which was worthy of promoting.

Identification of Growth Factors, Cytokines and Mediators Regulated by Artemisia annua L. Polyphenols (pKAL) in HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells: TGF-β1 and NGF-β Attenuate pKAL-Induced Anticancer Effects via NF-κB p65 Upregulation

The anticancer effects of natural phytochemicals are relevant to the modulation of cytokine signaling pathways in various cancer cells with stem-like properties as well as immune cells. The aim of this study was to elucidate a novel anticancer mechanism of Artemisia annua L. polyphenols (pKAL) involved in the regulation of growth factors, cytokines and mediators in stem-like HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. Through RayBiotech human L-1000 antibody array and bioinformatics analysis, we show here that pKAL-induced anticancer effects are associated with downregulation of growth factor and cytokine signaling proteins including TGFA, FGF16, PDGFC, CCL28, CXCR3, IRF6 and SMAD1. Notably, we found that TGF-β signaling proteins such as GDF10, ENG and TGFBR2 and well-known survival proteins such as NGF-β, VEGFD and insulin were significantly upregulated by pKAL. Moreover, the results of hematoxylin staining, cell viability assay and Western blot analysis demonstrated that TGF-β1 and NGF-β attenuated pKAL-induced anticancer effects by inhibiting pKAL-induced downregulation of caspase-8, NF-κB p65 and cyclin D1. These results suggest that certain survival mediators may be activated by pKAL through the TGF-β1 and NGF-β signaling pathways during pKAL-induced cell death and thus, strategies to inhibit the survival signaling are inevitably required for more effective anticancer effects of pKAL.

The Role of Glucosinolates from Cruciferous Vegetables (Brassicaceae) in Gastrointestinal Cancers: From Prevention to Therapeutics

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is composed of rapidly renewing cells, which increase the likelihood of cancer. Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed GI cancers and currently stands in second place regarding cancer-related mortality. Unfortunately, the treatment of GI is limited, and few developments have occurred in the field over the years. With this in mind, new therapeutic strategies involving biologically active phytocompounds are being evaluated as anti-cancer agents. Vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and radish, all belonging to the Brassicaceae family, are high in dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, and glucosinolates. The latter compound is a secondary metabolite characteristic of this family and, when biologically active, has demonstrated anti-cancer properties. This article reviews the literature regarding the potential of Cruciferous vegetables in the prevention and/or treatment of GI cancers and the relevance of appropriate compound formulations for improving the stability and bioaccessibility of the major Cruciferous compounds, with a particular focus on glucosinolates.

Medicinal Plants and Zinc: Impact on COVID-19 Pandemic

The world is currently grappling with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection can cause fever, a dry cough, fatigue, severe pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and in some cases death. There is currently no effective antiviral SARS-CoV-2 drug. To reduce the number of infections and deaths, it is critical to focus on strengthening immunity. This review aims to conduct a comprehensive search on the previous studies using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus for the collection of research papers based on the role of zinc in the immune system, the antiviral activity of zinc, the effect of zinc supplementation in respiratory infections, the therapeutic approaches against viral infections based on medicinal plants, and the role of plants' bioactive molecules in fighting viral infections. In conclusion, we highlighted the pivotal role of zinc in antiviral immunity and we suggested the bioactive molecules derived from medicinal plants as a search matrix for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Assessment of colon cancer molecular mechanism: a system biology approach

AIM

The current study aimed to assess and compare colon cancer dysregulated genes from the GEO and STRING databases.

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is known as the third most common kind of cancer and the second most important reason for global cancer-related mortality rates. There have been many studies on the molecular mechanism of colon cancer.

METHODS

From the STRING database, 100 differentially expressed proteins related to colon cancers were retrieved and analyzed by network analysis. The central nodes of the network were assessed by gene ontology. The findings were compared with a GSE from GEO.

RESULTS

Based on data from the STRING database, TP53, EGFR, HRAS, MYC, AKT1, GAPDH, KRAS, ERBB2, PTEN, and VEGFA were identified as central genes. The central nodes were not included in the significant DEGs of the analyzed GSE.

CONCLUSION

A combination of different database sources in system biology investigations provides useful information about the studied diseases.