Α-eleostearic acid inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells via HER2/HER3 signaling

The Involvement of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Apoptosis Mechanisms and Their Implications in Cancer

Cancer is a significant global public health issue and, despite advancements in detection and treatment, the prognosis remains poor. Cancer is a complex disease characterized by various hallmarks, including dysregulation in apoptotic cell death pathways. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process that efficiently eliminates damaged cells. Several studies have indicated the involvement of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in apoptosis, including omega-3 PUFAs such as alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. However, the role of omega-6 PUFAs, such as linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid, in apoptosis is controversial, with some studies supporting their activation of apoptosis and others suggesting inhibition. These PUFAs are essential fatty acids, and Western populations today have a high consumption rate of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs. This review focuses on presenting the diverse molecular mechanisms evidence in both in vitro and in vivo models, to help clarify the controversial involvement of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs in apoptosis mechanisms in cancer.

Phytochemicals Targeting Ferroptosis: Therapeutic Opportunities and Prospects for Treating Breast Cancer

Ferroptosis, a recently discovered iron-dependent regulated cell death, has been implicated in the therapeutic responses of various cancers including breast cancer, making it a promising therapeutic target to manage this malignancy. Phytochemicals are conventional sources for medication development. Some phytochemicals have been utilized therapeutically to treat cancers as pharmaceutic agents or dietary supplements. Intriguingly, a considerable number of antitumor drugs derived from phytochemicals have been proven to be targeting ferroptosis, thus producing anticancer effects. In this review, we provide a short overview of the interaction between core ferroptosis modulators and breast cancer, illustrating how ferroptosis affects the destiny of breast cancer cells. We also systematically summarize the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on ferroptosis and emphasize their clinical applications in breast cancer suppression, which may accelerate the development of their therapeutic use in breast cancer.

Transcriptome analysis of five different tissues of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) fruit identifies full-length genes involved in seed oil biosynthesis

The bitter gourd seed oil, rich in conjugated fatty acids, has therapeutic value to treat cancer, obesity, and aging. It also has an industrial application as a drying agent. Despite its significance, genomics studies are limited, and the genes for seed oil biosynthesis are not fully understood. In this study, we assembled the fruit transcriptome of bitter gourd using 254.5 million reads (Phred score > 30) from the green rind, white rind, pulp, immature seeds, and mature seeds. It consisted of 125,566 transcripts with N50 value 2,751 bp, mean length 960 bp, and 84% completeness. Transcript assembly was validated by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analysis of a few selected transcripts. The transcripts were annotated against the NCBI non-redundant database using the BLASTX tool (E-value < 1E−05). In gene ontology terms, 99,443, 86,681, and 82,954 transcripts were classified under biological process, molecular function, and cellular component. From the fruit transcriptome, we identified 26, 3, and 10 full-length genes coding for all the enzymes required for synthesizing fatty acids, conjugated fatty acids, and triacylglycerol. The transcriptome, transcripts with tissue-specific expression patterns, and the full-length identified from this study will serve as an important genomics resource for this important medicinal plant.

Recent advances in the development of bitter gourd seed oil: from chemical composition to potential applications

Non-conventional seed oils are being considered novelty foods due to the unique properties of their chemical constituents. Numerous such seed oils serve as nutritional and functional supplements, making them a point of interest for scholars. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) seed oil (BGSO) has been widely used in folk medicine worldwide for the treatment of different pathologies, such as diabetes, cancer, and several inflammatory diseases. Therefore, its nutritional and medicinal value has been extensively studied. Considering the potential use of BGSO, it is imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of this product to develop and use its biologically active ingredients in innovative food and pharmaceutical products. An extensive understanding of BGSO would also help improve the economic feasibility of the bitter gourd seed processing industry and help prevent environmental pollution associated with the raw waste produced during the processing of bitter gourd seeds. This review addresses the potential uses of BGSO in terms of food and pharmaceuticals industry perspectives and comprehensively summarizes the oil extraction process, chemical composition, biological activity, and the application prospects of BGSO in clinical medicine.

Ferroptotic cell death triggered by conjugated linolenic acids is mediated by ACSL1

Ferroptosis is associated with lipid hydroperoxides generated by the oxidation of polyunsaturated acyl chains. Lipid hydroperoxides are reduced by glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and GPX4 inhibitors induce ferroptosis. However, the therapeutic potential of triggering ferroptosis in cancer cells with polyunsaturated fatty acids is unknown. Here, we identify conjugated linoleates including α-eleostearic acid (αESA) as ferroptosis inducers. αESA does not alter GPX4 activity but is incorporated into cellular lipids and promotes lipid peroxidation and cell death in diverse cancer cell types. αESA-triggered death is mediated by acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain isoform 1, which promotes αESA incorporation into neutral lipids including triacylglycerols. Interfering with triacylglycerol biosynthesis suppresses ferroptosis triggered by αESA but not by GPX4 inhibition. Oral administration of tung oil, naturally rich in αESA, to mice limits tumor growth and metastasis with transcriptional changes consistent with ferroptosis. Overall, these findings illuminate a potential approach to ferroptosis, complementary to GPX4 inhibition.

Metabolic engineering for enhanced oil in biomass

The world is hungry for energy. Plant oils in the form of triacylglycerol (TAG) are one of the most reduced storage forms of carbon found in nature and hence represent an excellent source of energy. The myriad of applications for plant oils range across foods, feeds, biofuels, and chemical feedstocks as a unique substitute for petroleum derivatives. Traditionally, plant oils are sourced either from oilseeds or tissues surrounding the seed (mesocarp). Most vegetative tissues, such as leaves and stems, however, accumulate relatively low levels of TAG. Since non-seed tissues constitute the majority of the plant biomass, metabolic engineering to improve their low-intrinsic TAG-biosynthetic capacity has recently attracted significant attention as a novel, sustainable and potentially high-yielding oil production platform. While initial attempts predominantly targeted single genes, recent combinatorial metabolic engineering strategies have focused on the simultaneous optimization of oil synthesis, packaging and degradation pathways (i.e., 'push, pull, package and protect'). This holistic approach has resulted in dramatic, seed-like TAG levels in vegetative tissues. With the first proof of concept hurdle addressed, new challenges and opportunities emerge, including engineering fatty acid profile, translation into agronomic crops, extraction, and downstream processing to deliver accessible and sustainable bioenergy.

Impact of Cultivar on Profile and Concentration of Lipophilic Bioactive Compounds in Kernel Oils Recovered from Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) by-Products

Lipophilic bioactive compounds in oils recovered from the kernels of seven sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars, harvested at single location in 2013, were studied. Oil yield in sweet cherry ranged between 30.3-40.3 % (w/w) dw. The main fatty acids were oleic acid (39.62-49.92 %), linoleic acid (31.13-38.81 %), α-eleostearic acid (7.23-10.73 %) and palmitic acid (5.59-7.10 %), all four represented approximately 95 % of the total detected fatty acids. The ranges of total tocochromanols and sterols were between 83.1-111.1 and 233.6-419.4 mg/100 g of oil, respectively. Regardless of the cultivar, the γ-tocopherol and β-sitosterol were the main lipophilic minor bioactive compounds. The content of the carotenoids and squalene were between 0.38-0.62 and 60.9-127.7 mg/100 g of oil, respectively. Three significant correlations were found between oil yield and total contents of sterols (r = -0.852), tocochromanols (r = -0.880) and carotenoids (r = -0.698) in sweet cherry kernel oils. The oil yield, as well as the content of lipophilic bioactive compounds in oil was significantly affected by the cultivar.

Attenuation of enoyl coenzyme A hydratase 1 expression in colorectal cancer cells using small interfering RNA inhibits cell proliferation and migration

Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer and is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Short chain enoyl coenzyme A hydratase 1 (ECHS1) is an important gene involved in the mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation pathway. In addition, ECHS1 has been implicated in a variety of cancers, including breast, prostate, colon and liver cancer. The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of ECHS1 in the human HCT-8 colorectal cancer cell line. The results showed that ECHS1 expression was significantly increased in poorly-differentiated cells compared with that in well-differentiated cells. In order to further investigate the functions of ECHS1 in colorectal cancer cells, a stably transfected HCT-8 cell line expressing small interfering (si)RNA targeting the ECHS1 gene was established. The expression of the ECHS1 siRNA was found to reduce ECHS1 protein levels in ECHS1-silenced cells by >40%. Cell proliferation and cell migration of the siECHS1 cells were characterized using Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays, respectively, the results of which showed that the constitutive knockdown of the ECSH1 gene in HCT-8 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, decreased levels of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)3β phosphorylation were observed in ECHS1-silenced HCT-8 cells compared with that of parental or pU6 empty vector-transfected cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that ECHS1 may have an important role in colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration via activation of Akt- and GSK3β-associated signaling pathways.