Gallic acid suppresses colon cancer proliferation by inhibiting SRC and EGFR phosphorylation

Gallic acid attenuates metastatic potential of human colorectal cancer cells through the miR-1247-3p-modulated integrin/FAK axis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits highly metastatic potential even in the early stages of tumor progression. Gallic acid (GA), a common phenolic compound in plants, is known to possess potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, thereby inducing cell death or cell cycle arrest. However, whether GA reduces the invasiveness of CRC cells without inducing cell death remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the antimetastatic activity of low-dose GA on CRC cells and determine its underlying mechanism. Cell viability and tumorigenicity were analyzed by MTS, cell adhesion, and colony formation assay. Invasiveness was demonstrated using migration and invasion assays. Changes in protein phosphorylation and expression were assessed by Western blot. The involvement of microRNAs was validated by microarray analysis and anti-miR antagonist. Our findings showed that lower dose of GA (≤100 μM) did not affect cell viability but reduced the capabilities of colony formation, cell adhesion, and invasiveness in CRC cells. Cellularly, GA downregulated the cellular level of integrin αV/β3, talin-1, and tensin and diminished the phosphorylated FAK, paxillin, Src, and AKT in DLD-1 cells. Microarray results revealed that GA increased miR-1247-3p expression, and pretreatment of anti-miR antagonist against miR-1247-3p restored the GA-reduced integrin αV/β3 and the GA-inhibited paxillin activation in DLD-1 cells. Consistently, the in vivo xenograft model showed that GA administration inhibited tumor growth and liver metastasis derived from DLD-1 cells. Collectively, our findings indicated that GA inhibited the metastatic capabilities of CRC cells, which may result from the suppression of integrin/FAK axis mediated by miR1247-3p.

Analysis and identification of phenolic compounds with antiproliferative activity from Chinese olive (Canarium album L.) fruit extract by HPLC-DAD-SPE-TT-NMR

Chinese olives (Canarium album L.) are rich in phenolic compounds, exhibiting a broad spectrum of potential clinical applications. This study is the first report on the isolation and elucidation of bioactive compounds with high antiproliferative activity from the ethyl acetate fraction of a Chinese olive fruit methanolic extract (CO-EtOAc). We used the WST-1 assay to determine which subfractions of CO-EtOAc had significant antiproliferative activity using the murine colon cancer cell line CT26. Subsequently, the functional compounds were characterized by the hyphenated technique and high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-solid phase extraction-transfer tube-nuclear magnetic resonance (HPLC-DAD-SPE-TT-NMR). Thirteen phenolic constituents were identified from the antiproliferation-enhancing subfractions of CO-EtOAc, including two new compounds, 2,4-didehydrochebulic acid 1,7-dimethyl ester (5) and 1-hydroxybrevifolin (7), which were further purified and found to exhibit marked antiproliferative activity. Chebulic acid dimethyl ester (2), which was isolated from C. album for the first time, also possessed antiproliferative activity.

Greasing the Wheels of Pharmacotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: the Role of Natural Polyphenols

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The main purpose of this review, mainly based on preclinical studies, is to summarize the pharmacological and biochemical evidence regarding natural polyphenols against colorectal cancer and highlight areas that require future research.

RECENT FINDINGS

Typically, colorectal cancer is a potentially preventable and curable cancer arising from benign precancerous polyps found in the colon's inner lining. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with a lifetime risk of approximately 4 to 5%. Genetic background and environmental factors play major roles in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Theoretically, a multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis provides enough time for anti-tumor pharmacotherapy of colorectal cancer. Chronic colonic inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota imbalance have been found to increase the risk for colorectal cancer development by creating genotoxic stress within the intestinal environment to generate genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications. Currently, numerous natural polyphenols have shown anti-tumor properties against colorectal cancer in preclinical research, especially in colorectal cancer cell lines. In this review, the current literature regarding the etiology and epidemiology of colorectal cancer is briefly outlined. We highlight the findings of natural polyphenols in colorectal cancer from in vitro and in vivo studies. The scarcity of human trials data undermines the clinical use of natural polyphenols as anti-colorectal cancer agents, which should be undertaken in the future.

Chitosan Microspheres Loaded with Curcumin and Gallic Acid: Modified Synthesis, Sustainable Slow Release, and Enhanced Biological Property

Improving the utilization rate of loaded-drugs is of huge importance for generating chitosan-based (CS) micro-carriers. This study aims to fabricate a novel CS microspheres co-delivered curcumin (Cur) and gallic acid (Ga) to assess drug loading and release kinetics, the blood compatibility and anti-osteosarcoma properties. The present study observes the interaction between CS and Cur/Ga molecules and estimates the change in crystallinity and loading and release rate. In addition, blood compatibility and cytotoxicity of such microspheres are also evaluated. Cur-Ga-CS microspheres present high entrapment rate of (55.84 ± 0.34) % for Ga and (42.68 ± 0.11) % for Cur, possibly attributed to surface positive charge (21.76 ± 2.46) mV. Strikingly, Cur-Ga-CS microspheres exhibit slowly sustainable release for almost 7 days in physiological buffer. Importantly, these microspheres possess negligibly toxic to blood and normal BMSC cells, but strong anti-osteosarcoma effect on U2OS cells. Overall, Cur-Ga-CS microspheres are promising to become a novel anti-osteosarcoma agent or sustainable delivery carrier in biomedical applications.

Dendrimer-Mediated Delivery of Anticancer Drugs for Colon Cancer Treatment

The third most common cancer worldwide is colon cancer (CC). Every year, there more cases are reported, yet there are not enough effective treatments. This emphasizes the need for new drug delivery strategies to increase the success rate and reduce side effects. Recently, a lot of trials have been done for developing natural and synthetic medicines for CC, among which the nanoparticle-based approach is the most trending. Dendrimers are one of the most utilized nanomaterials that are accessible and offer several benefits in the chemotherapy-based treatment of CC by improving the stability, solubility, and bioavailability of drugs. They are highly branched polymers, making it simple to conjugate and encapsulate medicines. Dendrimers have nanoscale features that enable the differentiation of inherent metabolic disparities between cancer cells and healthy cells, enabling the passive targeting of CC. Moreover, dendrimer surfaces can be easily functionalized to improve the specificity and enable active targeting of colon cancer. Therefore, dendrimers can be explored as smart nanocarriers for CC chemotherapy.

Structural insights and shedding light on preferential interactions of dietary flavonoids with G-quadruplex DNA structures: A new horizon

G-quadruplex, a structurally unique structure in nucleic acids present all throughout the human genome, has sparked great attention in therapeutic investigations. Targeting G-quadruplex structure is a new strategy for the drug development. Flavonoids are found in almost all dietary plant-based beverages and food products; therefore, they are ingested in significant proportions through the human diet. Although synthetically developed drug molecules are used vigorously but they have various adverse effects. While on the other hand, nature supplies chemically unique scaffolds in the form of distinct dietary flavonoids that are easily accessible, less poisonous, and have higher bioavailability. Because of their great pharmacological effectiveness and minimal cytotoxicity, such low molecular weight compounds are feasible alternatives to synthetic therapeutic medicines. Therefore, from a drug-development point of view, investigation on screening the binding capabilities of quadruplex-interactive small natural compounds like dietary flavonoids are expected to be highly effective, with a particular emphasis on the selectivity towards polymorphic G-quadruplex structures. In this respect, quadruplexes have scintillated research into their potential interaction with these dietary flavonoids. The purpose of this review is to offer an up-to-date close-up look at the research on their interaction with structurally varied dietary flavonoids with the goal of providing newer perspectives to construct novel therapeutic agents for next-generation disease managements.

Multi-Mechanistic and Therapeutic Exploration of Nephroprotective Effect of Traditional Ayurvedic Polyherbal Formulation Using In Silico, In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches

Based on traditional therapeutic claims, NEERI KFT (a traditional Ayurvedic polyherbal preparation) has been innovatively developed in recent time on the decades of experience for treating kidney dysfunction. Due to the lack of scientific evidence, the present investigations are needed to support the rationale use of NEERI KFT. Considering the facts, the study investigated the nephroprotective effect of NEERI KFT against kidney dysfunction using in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. In this study, phytochemical and network pharmacology studies were performed for the developed formulation to evaluate the molecular mechanism of NEERI KFT in the amelioration of kidney disease. In vitro nephroprotective and antioxidant effect of NEERI KFT was determined on HEK 293 cells against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. In vivo nephroprotective effect of NEERI KFT was determined against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats, via assessing biochemical markers, antioxidant enzymes and inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, CASP-3, etc. The results showed that the compounds such as gallic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid are the major constituents of NEERI KFT, while network pharmacology analysis indicated a strong interaction between polyphenols and several genes (CASPs, ILs, AGTR1, AKT, ACE2, SOD1, etc.) involved in the pathophysiology of kidney disease. In vivo studies showed a significant (p < 0.05) ameliorative effect on biochemical markers and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, etc.), and regulates inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, CASP-3) expression in kidney tissue. Hence, it can be concluded that NEERI KFT subsequently alleviates renal dysfunction mediated by cisplatin via attenuating oxidative and inflammatory stress, thus preserving the normalcy of kidney function.

Protective Effect of Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction on Colitis and Colitis-Related Carcinogenesis by Regulating Inflammation and Intestinal Fibrosis

Purpose

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by mucosal inflammation, which may develop into ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis (UCAC) with disease progression. Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction (QCWZD) is a classic and effective prescription for the clinical treatment of UC. QCWZD has been shown to alleviate intestinal mucosal injury in acute and chronic UC models. This study aimed to explore and then verify the pharmacological mechanisms of QCWZD in UC and UCAC therapy.

Methods

In this study, approaches including microarray analysis, network pharmacology, and biological verification are employed to clarify the mechanism of QCWZD in the treatment of UC and UCAC. TCMSP, Swiss Target Prediction, and Similarity Ensemble Approach were used to investigate the active ingredients and targets of QCWZD. UC and UCAC valid targets were identified by the microarray data in the GEO database (GSE38713 and GSE47908). The core targets were obtained by PPI network and enriched by GO and KEGG. DSS and AOM/DSS mouse models were adopted to verify the above analysis results.

Results

The enrichment analysis showed that the therapeutic targets of QCWZD enriched in blood circulation, cell adhesion molecules, and pathways of inflammation and cancer such as IL-17 signaling pathway and toll-like receptor signaling pathway were involved in the multiple synergies of QCWZD on UC and UCAC treatment. The results of experiments demonstrated that QCWZD can exert its effects on protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier, regulating inflammation and improving intestinal fibrosis in UC and UCAC and the main mechanism of QCWZD in treatment of UC and UCAC may be related to the activation of the IL-17, NF-κB and TLR4 signaling pathways.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that QCWZD treated UC and UCAC via multiple targets and pathways and the IL-17, NF-κB and TLR4 signaling pathways may be highly involved in this process.

Natural Products/Bioactive Compounds as a Source of Anticancer Drugs

Cancer is one of the major deadly diseases globally. The alarming rise in the mortality rate due to this disease attracks attention towards discovering potent anticancer agents to overcome its mortality rate. The discovery of novel and effective anticancer agents from natural sources has been the main point of interest in pharmaceutical research because of attractive natural therapeutic agents with an immense chemical diversity in species of animals, plants, and microorganisms. More than 60% of contemporary anticancer drugs, in one form or another, have originated from natural sources. Plants and microbial species are chosen based on their composition, ecology, phytochemical, and ethnopharmacological properties. Plants and their derivatives have played a significant role in producing effective anticancer agents. Some plant derivatives include vincristine, vinblastine, irinotecan, topotecan, etoposide, podophyllotoxin, and paclitaxel. Based on their particular activity, a number of other plant-derived bioactive compounds are in the clinical development phase against cancer, such as gimatecan, elomotecan, etc. Additionally, the conjugation of natural compounds with anti-cancerous drugs, or some polymeric carriers particularly targeted to epitopes on the site of interest to tumors, can generate effective targeted treatment therapies. Cognizance from such pharmaceutical research studies would yield alternative drug development strategies through natural sources which could be economical, more reliable, and safe to use.

Gallic acid suppresses the progression of triple-negative breast cancer HCC1806 cells via modulating PI3K/AKT/EGFR and MAPK signaling pathways

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a severe threat to women’s health because of its aggressive nature, early age of onset, and high recurrence rate. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of Gallic acid (GA) on the TNBC HCC1806 cells in vitro. The cell proliferation was detected by MTT and plate clone formation assays, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed by flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining assays, and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation were also investigated. Real-Time PCR and western blot were examined to explore the mechanism of action. The results indicated that GA suppressed HCC1806 cells proliferation and promoted HCC1806 cells apoptosis. Meanwhile, GA treatment changed the morphology of the HCC1806 cells. In addition, GA blocked the HCC1806 cells cycle in the S phase, and it induced cells apoptosis accompanied by ROS accumulation and MMP depolarization. Real-Time PCR results suggested that GA increased Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, P53, JINK and P38 mRNA expression, and decreased Bcl-2, PI3K, AKT and EGFR mRNA expression. Western blotting results suggested that GA increased Bax, cleaved-Caspase-3, cleaved-Caspase-9, P53, P-ERK1/2, P-JNK, P-P38 proteins expression, and decreased Bcl-2, P-PI3K, P-AKT, P-EGFR proteins expression. Furthermore, molecular docking suggested that GA has the high affinity for PI3K, AKT, EGFR, ERK1/2, JNK, and P38. In conclusion, GA could suppress HCC1806 cells proliferation and promote HCC1806 cells apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and induces ROS generation which further inhibits PI3K/AKT/EGFR and activates MAPK signaling pathways. Our study will provide some new references for using GA in the treatment of TNBC.

Gallic Acid: A Natural Phenolic Compound Exerting Antitumoral Activities in Colorectal Cancer via Interaction with G-Quadruplexes

Simple Summary

Gallic acid, a natural phenolic compound in diet, interacts with DNA G-quadruplexes both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, gallic acid targets G-quadruplexes in ribosomal DNA and CMYC oncogene, affecting gene expression. This action leads to antitumoral effects in colorectal cancer. In a patient cohort with CRC, we demonstrate that gallic acid could be explored as a therapeutic agent.

Abstract

Natural phenolic compounds have gained momentum for the prevention and treatment of cancer, but their antitumoral mechanism of action is not yet well understood. In the present study, we screened the antitumoral potential of several phenolic compounds in a cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC). We selected gallic acid (GA) as a candidate in terms of potency and selectivity and extensively evaluated its biological activity. We report on the role of GA as a ligand of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s), explaining several of its antitumoral effects, including the transcriptional inhibition of ribosomal and CMYC genes. In addition, GA shared with other established G4 ligands some effects such as cell cycle arrest, nucleolar stress, and induction of DNA damage. We further confirmed the antitumoral and G4-stabilizing properties of GA using a xenograft model of CRC. Finally, we succinctly demonstrate that GA could be explored as a therapeutic agent in a patient cohort with CRC. Our work reveals that GA, a natural bioactive compound present in the diet, affects gene expression by interaction with G4s both in vitro and in vivo and paves the way towards G4s targeting with phenolic compounds.

Rationale for Tailoring an Alternative Oncology Trial Using a Novel Gallium-Based Nanocomplex: Mechanistic Insights and Preclinical Challenges

Introduction: In the fight against cancer, cisplatin is most widely used as a clinical mainstay for the chemotherapy of various human cancers. Meanwhile, its cytotoxic profile, as well as drug resistance, limits its widespread application. The goal of precision medicine is to tailor an optimized therapeutic program based on the biology of the disease. Recently, nanotechnology has been demonstrated to be promising in this scenario. Objective: The current work provides a rationale for the design of an alternative oncology trial for the treatment of hepatocarcinogenesis using a novel eco-friendly nanocomplex, namely gallic acid-coated gallium nanoparticles. Moreover, the study tests whether the antineoplastic efficacy of gallic acid-coated gallium nanoparticles could be enhanced or not when it is administrated together with cisplatin. Methods: The work comprised a series of both in vitro and in vivo investigations. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of such treatments, against diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, was strictly evaluated by tracking target genes expressions, iron homeostasis, diverse biomarkers alterations, and lastly, routine paraclinical investigations were also assessed. Results: The in vitro biological evaluation of gallic acid-coated gallium nanoparticles in a HepG-2 cancer cell line established its superior cytotoxicity. Else more, the results of the in vivo experiment highlighted that gallic acid-coated gallium nanoparticles could diminish key hallmarks of cancer by ameliorating most of the investigated parameters. This was well-appreciated with the histopathological findings of the liver architectures of the treated groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that novel biogenic Ga-based nanocomplexes may potentially present new hope for the development of alternative liver cancer therapeutics, which should attract further scientific interest.

Improving gallic acid and quercetin bioavailability by polymeric nanoparticle formulation

The anticancer activity and pharmacokinetic properties of encapsulated polyherbal nanoparticles (gallic acid (GA) and quercetin nanocomposite) and polyherbal extract (amla and pomegranate fruit peels) in normal and DMH-induced colorectal cancer in rats were examined in this work. In normal and DMH-induced rats, a pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that polyherbal nanoparticles had a typical sustained release profile with a fourfold increase in bioavailability when compared to polyherbal extract. Based on serum-concentration profiles of polyherbal nanoparticles and polyherbal extract following oral administration, the pharmacokinetic parameters for polyherbal nanoparticles and polyherbal extract were established using a single compartmental approach. This research suggests that encapsulating GA and quercetin in polymeric nanoparticles improves their oral bioavailability and anti-colon cancer efficacy. Polymeric nanoparticles could be a novel therapeutic possibility for carcinogenesis prevention.

The Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activity of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. var. orientalis via NF-κB and Apoptotic Pathways in Human Colorectal Cancer

Liquidambar orientalis Mill. var. orientalis (Hammamelidaceae) commonly known as oriental sweet gum is a medicinal plant endemic to Turkey, and used for treatment of wounds such as ulcers, gastritis and skin diseases. However, there are only a limited number of studies on the anticancer properties of this plant. The aim of this study is to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of L. orientalis in colorectal cancer cell lines and to reveal the active therapeutic components. Antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-invasive and apoptotic effects were investigated for determining biological activities. The phytochemical profile and quantitation assays were carried out by using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS. The results demonstrated that leaf methanol extract (LM) of L. orientalis has the highest cytotoxic activity in HCT-116 (IC₅₀ 27.80 μg/mL) and HT-29 (IC₅₀ 43.13 μg/mL) cell lines as compared to the other extracts tested. Regarding chemical composition, quercetin 3-glucoside (61.005 ± 1.527 mg/g extract), chlorogenic acid (31.627 ± 0.970 mg/g extract), pyrogallol (9.950 ± 0.001 mg/g extract), epigallocatechin gallate (9.671 ± 0.004 mg/g extract), apigenin 7-O-glucoside (2.687 ± 0.027 mg/g extract), gallic acid (2.137 ± 0.012 mg/g extract), genistin (1.270 ± 0.027 mg/g extract), luteolin (0.055 ± 0.0005 mg/g extract) and kaempferol (0.506 ± 0.007 mg/g extract) were identified as the major phytochemical compounds. Our results showed that LM extract exhibited In Vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic properties.