Essential Oil from Zingiber ottensii Induces Human Cervical Cancer Cell Apoptosis and Inhibits MAPK and PI3K/AKT Signaling Cascades

Essential Oils in Cervical Cancer: Narrative Review on Current Insights and Future Prospects

Cervical cancer is a prevalent and often devastating disease affecting women worldwide. Traditional treatment modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have significantly improved survival rates, but they are often accompanied by side effects and challenges that can impact a patient's quality of life. In recent years, the integration of essential oils into the management of cervical cancer has gained attention. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the role of various essential oils in cervical cancer, offering insights into their potential benefits and the existing body of research. The review also delves into future directions and challenges in this emerging field, emphasizing promising research areas and advanced delivery systems. The encapsulation of essential oils with solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsification of essential oils, or the combination of essential oils with conventional treatments showed promising results by increasing the anticancer properties of essential oils. As the use of essential oils in cervical cancer treatment or management evolves, this review aims to provide a comprehensive perspective, balancing the potential of these natural remedies with the challenges and considerations that need to be addressed.

Combination of Pinocembrin and Epidermal Growth Factor Enhances the Proliferation and Survival of Human Keratinocytes

Re-epithelialization is delayed in aged skin due to a slow rate of keratinocyte proliferation, and this may cause complications. Thus, there has been development of new therapies that increase treatment efficacy for skin wounds. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been clinically used, but this agent is expensive, and its activity is less stable. Therefore, a stable compound possessing EGF-like properties may be an effective therapy, especially when combined with EGF. The current study discovered that pinocembrin (PC) effectively synergized with EGF in increasing keratinocyte viability. The combination of PC and EGF significantly enhanced the proliferation and wound closure rate of the keratinocyte monolayer through activating the phosphorylation of ERK and Akt. Although these effects of PC were like those of EGF, we clearly proved that PC did not transactivate EGFR. Recent data from a previous study revealed that PC activates G-protein-coupled receptor 120 which further activates ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation. Therefore, this clearly indicates that PC possesses a unique property to stimulate the growth and survival of keratinocytes through activating a different receptor, which subsequently conveys the signal to cross-talk with the effector kinases downstream of the EGFR, suggesting that PC is a potential compound to be combined with EGF.

Healthy Zerumbone: From Natural Sources to Strategies to Improve Its Bioavailability and Oral Administration

Zerumbone is a multifunctional compound with antimicrobial, antitumor, hyperalgesic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory applications, and constitutes a point molecule for the future synthesis of derivatives with improved efficiency. This monocyclic sesquiterpenoid is found in high content in wild ginger (Zingiber zerumbet Smith), a perennial herb with economic importance as an ornamental as well as a medicinal plant. The presence of zerumbone is a distinctive feature that allows identification and differentiation from other species, not only in Zingiber, but also in Curcuma, Alpinia, Boesenbergia, Ethlingera and Ammomum spp., as well as related families (Costaceaee). To successfully use zerumbone in areas such as medicine, food and agriculture, further research on improving its low solubility and bioavailability, as well as its preservation, is a major current priority. In addition, despite its promising pharmacological activities, preclinical and clinical studies are required to demonstrate and evaluate the in vivo efficacy of zerumbone.

Molecular Targets of Pinocembrin Underlying Its Regenerative Activities in Human Keratinocytes

Pinocembrin is one of the well-known compounds in the group of flavonoids. The pharmacological activities of pinocembrin in association with wound-healing activities have been reported. However, its effects on the aspect of cellular interaction underlying growth and survival are still unidentified in human keratinocytes. Our previous study reported that Boesenbergia rotunda potently stimulated survival and proliferation of a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). On the basis that pinocembrin is revealed to be one of the major constituents of this plant, we aimed to define the survival- and proliferation-enhancing effects of this compound at the cellular level. Results from the current study confirmed that pinocembrin induced an increase in HaCaT cell number. At the signaling perspective, we identified that pinocembrin significantly triggered ERK1/2 and Akt activation. The stimulating effects of pinocembrin were clearly inhibited by MEK and PI3K inhibitors authenticating that proliferation- and survival-promoting activities of pinocembrin were mainly acted on these two signaling cascades. Altogether, we successfully identified that pinocembrin functions to induce keratinocyte proliferation and survival, at least by provoking MAPK and PI3K pathways. Our study encourages the fact that pinocembrin is one of the interesting natural flavonoid compounds to be developed as a wound closure-promoting agent.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Essential Oil from Zingiber ottensii Valeton in Animal Models

Zingiber ottensii (ZO) Valeton, a local plant in Northern Thailand, has been widely used in traditional medicine. Many studies using in vitro models reveal its pharmacological activities, including the anti-inflammatory activity of ZO essential oil, extracted from ZO rhizomes. However, the scientific report to confirm its anti-inflammatory activity using animal models is still lacking. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity and explore the possible mechanisms of action of ZO essential oil in rats. The results revealed that ZO essential oil significantly reduced the ear edema formation induced by ethyl phenylpropiolate. Pre-treatment with ZO essential oil significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema and the severity of inflammation in paw tissue. In addition, pre-treatment with ZO essential oil exhibited decreased COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α expression in paw tissue, as well as PGE₂ levels in serum. On this basis, our study suggests that ZO essential oil possesses anti-inflammatory activity in animal models. Its possible mechanisms of action may involve the inhibition of TNF-α expression as well as the inhibition of COX-2 and PGE₂ production. These findings provide more crucial data of ZO essential oil that may lead to new natural anti-inflammatory product development in the future.

Anticancer activity of Zingiber ottensii essential oil and its nanoformulations

Zingiber ottensii, is widely used in Asian traditional remedies for the treatment of many diseases. The present study explores anticancer activity of Z. ottensii essential oil (ZOEO) and its nanoformulations. ZOEO obtained from hydrodistillation of Z. ottensii fresh rhizomes was analysis using gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Zerumbone (25.21%) was the major compound of ZOEO followed by sabinene (23.35%) and terpene-4-ol (15.97%). Four types of ZOEO loaded nanoformulations; nanoemulsion, microemulsion, nanoemulgels, and microemulgel, were developed. The average droplet size of the nanoemulsion and microemulsion was significantly smaller than that of the nanoemulgel and microemulgel. Comparison with other essential oils of plants of the same family on anticancer activity against A549, MCF-7, HeLa, and K562, ZOEO showed the highest cytotoxicity with IC50 of 43.37±6.69, 9.77±1.61, 23.25±7.73, and 60.49±9.41 μg/mL, respectively. Investigation using flow cytometry showed that ZOEO significantly increased the sub-G1 populations (cell death) in cell cycle analysis and induced cell apoptosis by apoptotic analysis. The developed nanoformulations significantly enhanced cytotoxicity of ZOEO, particularly against MCF-7 with the IC50 of 3.08±2.58, 0.74±0.45, 2.31±0.91, and 6.45±5.84 μg/mL, respectively. Among the four nanoformulations developed in the present study, nanoemulsion and microemulsion were superior to nanoemulgel and microemulgel in delivering ZOEO into cancer cells.