Cytotoxic Activity from Curcuma zedoaria Through Mitochondrial Activation on Ovarian Cancer Cells

Cytotoxicity of Physalis minima Linn (Solanaceae) fruit against HCT116 and HT29 colorectal cancer cell lines

The pantropical Physalis minima are traditionally used for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses, diseases, and cancers. While most earlier studies on the species have focused on the phytochemistry of the leaf and stem extracts, recent studies have indicated that its fruit may contain bioactive compounds of medical interest. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of extracts from the fruit of P. minima against colorectal cancer cell lines and revealed its phytochemical profile via high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Following a 24-h treatment with the fruit extract, cytoplasm shrinkage and nucleus condensation were observed in the colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29, indicating the induction of programmed cell death. Phytochemically, 71 putative metabolites were identified. Some of these metabolites have been reported to inhibit cancers to varying degrees, further supporting the correlation of the putative metabolites with the cytotoxicity against colorectal cancer cells demonstrated in this study.

Phytochemical composition of the diethyl ether extract of Artemisia lactiflora Wall. ex DC and its antimetastatic activity in human lung cancer cells

Artemisia lactiflora Wall. ex DC. is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant used in the treatment of menstrual and hepatic disorders due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its anti-metastatic activity, which is the clinical challenge of lung cancer treatment, has not yet been reported. From the diethyl ether extract of Artemisia lactiflora, the four terpenoids, including dihydroactinidiolide, megastigmatrienone, alpha-curcumene, and dehydrovomifoliol, were the most intense peaks observed using LC-MS/MS, whereas bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was a contaminant. In a transwell assay, the A. lactiflora diethyl ether extract (32 μg/ml) and dihydroactinidiolide (250 μg/ml) markedly inhibited the migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, similar to the standard anti-metastatic drug (capmatinib). Western blot analysis revealed that mesenchymal N-cadherin is downregulated in NSCLC cells under the treatment conditions. The potential anti-metastatic property of dihydroactinidiolide is promising as a new candidate anti-metastatic agent for lung cancer treatment.

Aromatic-turmerone ameliorates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis via modulating gut microbiota in mice

Curcuma longa L. is one of the traditional Chinese herbs in the list of medicinal and food homology. Aromatic-turmerone is the main ingredient in turmeric essential oil. The aim of the present study is to investigate the treatment of Aromatic-turmerone on DSS-included colitis and its regulatory effect on intestinal flora disorder. Male KM mice supplemented with different concentration of aromatic-turmerone and mesalazine are subjected to 2% DSS in drinking water to induce colitis. Colon and cecum contents were collected for colitis lesion evaluation and inflammation-related gene analysis and colon contents for gut microbiota. The results show that treatments with Aromatic-turmerone significantly prevents colon shortening, alleviates the damage of colonic tissue, and reduces colonic inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and COX-2. Furthermore, the 16S rDNA gene sequence data indicate that Aromatic-turmerone improve the abundance of bacterial species, maintain some beneficial bacteria, and reduce harmful bacteria. Aromatic-turmerone downregulates the colonic inflammatory cytokines and modulates the abundance of intestinal flora, which is conductive to ameliorates DSS-induced colitis. Regularly intake of the edible herb may be help to prevent ulcerative colitis-related diseases.

Evaluating the efficacy of an innovative herbal formulation (HF6) on different human cancer cell lines

Cancer is reported to be the leading cause of death and illness worldwide. This research aims to evaluate the phytochemicals, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and apoptotic activities of the polyherbal formulation HF6. HF6 was prepared by blending equal quantities of plants powder, namely, Curcuma longa, Salvia officinalis, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Capsicum annuum, Zingiber officinale, and Syzygium aromaticum, and later extracted using hexane (HF6H), chloroform (HF6C), ethyl acetate (HF6E), and methanol (HF6M) in Soxhlet apparatus. Among the four different extracts, only the hexane extract (HF6H) was significantly effective. The HF6H extract showed antioxidant and anticancer potentials against different cancer cell lines, and moderate cytotoxicity against non-cancer cells, rendering it a promising remedy. In addition, it exerted tremendous cytotoxic effects on MCF-7, Huh-7, HCT116, MDA-MB-231, LoVo, and HepG2 cells with IC₅₀ values of 2.02, 4.5, 6.9, 11.4, 23.5, and 34.7 µg/mL, respectively. The morphological hallmarks of apoptosis such as the rounding of cells, loss of contact with neighboring cells, formation of cell membrane blebbing, and microspike protrusion were detected using several different techniques. DAPI staining revealed apoptotic nuclear morphology such as condensation and DNA fragmentation. The morphological changes of MCF7 cells were also analyzed by AO/EB fluorescence staining. MCF7-stained green cells were viable cells, whereas the treated cells showed fragmented green nuclei representing early apoptosis. The phytochemical screening of HF6H showed positive results regarding the presence of alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and sterols. The GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis of the HF6H extract indicated the presence of 12 compounds, mainly trans-caryophyllene (21.55%), cis-isoeugenol (18.42%), acetyleugenol (17.53%), alpha farnesene (10.0%), and zingiberene (8.55%). However, further investigation could be carried out to examine the toxicity of the extract on animal models.

Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. exhibits cytotoxicity in A-549 and HeLa cells by inducing apoptosis through caspase-dependent pathways

The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of the leaf, stem and rhizome of Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. for their phytochemical content, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. The different parts of C. aeruginosa were subjected to sequential extraction to give three fractions viz., hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extract. The cytotoxic effect and the mode of action against A-549 human lung adenocarcinoma and HeLa cell lines were examined. C. aeruginosa presented no significant toxic effect in normal human lung cells (L-132). The methanol extracts were found to be the most cytotoxic and further investigation was carried out to understand the effects. The methanol extracts induced DNA damage after 24 h with significant increase in tail DNA and tail moment when compared to untreated control. Up-regulation in the expression of the caspase - 8 and - 3 activity was observed after 48 h of treatment. The mechanism of cell death and apoptosis induced by the methanol extracts on A549 and HeLa cells were studied using fluorescent staining. Bioactive compounds detected from the HPLC revealed phenol and flavonoid compounds: Gallic acid, quercetin, caffeic acid, kaempferol, rutin, coumaric acid and naringenin. GC-MS results identified the presence of sesquiterpenoids: α-curcumene, curzerene curcumenol, curzerenone epicurzerenone, caryophyllene oxide and diterpenoid, andrographolide. These compounds are known for inducing apoptosis in human cancer cells through caspase - dependent pathways. Therefore, C. aeruginosa and its potential to induce apoptosis in cancer cells suggest that they have potential in medical applications.

Nano-Drug Delivery Systems Entrapping Natural Bioactive Compounds for Cancer: Recent Progress and Future Challenges

Cancer is a prominent cause of mortality globally, and it becomes fatal and incurable if it is delayed in diagnosis. Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that is used to eliminate, diminish, or restrict tumor progression. Chemotherapeutic medicines are available in various formulations. Some tumors require just one type of chemotherapy medication, while others may require a combination of surgery and/or radiotherapy. Treatments might last from a few minutes to many hours to several days. Each medication has potential adverse effects associated with it. Researchers have recently become interested in the use of natural bioactive compounds in anticancer therapy. Some phytochemicals have effects on cellular processes and signaling pathways with potential antitumor properties. Beneficial anticancer effects of phytochemicals were observed in both in vivo and in vitro investigations. Encapsulating natural bioactive compounds in different drug delivery methods may improve their anticancer efficacy. Greater in vivo stability and bioavailability, as well as a reduction in undesirable effects and an enhancement in target-specific activity, will increase the effectiveness of bioactive compounds. This review work focuses on a novel drug delivery system that entraps natural bioactive substances. It also provides an idea of the bioavailability of phytochemicals, challenges and limitations of standard cancer therapy. It also encompasses recent patents on nanoparticle formulations containing a natural anti-cancer molecule.

Molecular Targets of Curcumin and Its Therapeutic Potential for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common gynecological cancer in women globally. Conventional chemotherapy is the first therapeutic approach in the treatment of ovarian cancer, but its success is limited by severe side effects, transient response, and the high prevalence of relapse. Curcumin is a natural product found in the rhizome extract of Curcuma longa and has been extensively used over the last decades for its unique biological and medicinal properties, which include: having antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor activities. Curcumin exerts its anticancer properties against ovarian cancer via multiple mechanisms: interfering with cellular interactions necessary for metastasis and recurrence of OC cells, increasing pro-apoptotic proteins as well as inducing or suppressing generation of different molecules such as cytokines, transcription factors, enzymes, protein kinases, and growth factors. Moreover, curcumin down-regulates various signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, JAK/STAT3, and MEK/ERK1/2 axes, which at least in part have a role in inhibiting further tumor proliferation, growth, and angiogenesis. In this review, we overview the potential of incorporating curcumin into the treatment of ovarian cancer. In particular, we summarize the preclinical evidence supporting its use in combination with current chemotherapeutic regimens as well as new analogues and formulations under investigation.

Curcuma zedoaria Rosc (Zingiberaceae): a review on its chemical, pharmacological and biological activities

Background

Around 80% of human population in the world relies on herbal or phytomedicines for their primary health care needs. The treatment of many diseases and disorders with phytomedicines is considered and observed as very safe with no or minimal side effects. Many medicinal plants and their preparations are practised at home as remedies for treating and preventing various diseases and disorders. For example, medicinal plants and their crude parts such as tulsi, neem, turmeric and ginger are used to cure or treat several common ailments, out of which Curcuma zedoaria Rosc commonly known as white turmeric is one of the important crude drugs belonging to Zingiberaceae family and genus Curcuma. Traditionally, it has been reported to possess many biological activities been used for many therapeutic actions due to the presence of wide range of phytoconstituents in it. The main objectives of the present work are to carry out extensive review on its chemical, pharmacological and biological activities of plant.

Main body

In the present review article, extensive data on its chemical, pharmacological and biological activities have been collected from various online sources including indexing sites such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and Research Gate and presented. Various articles published in indexed journals and other databases have been collected and reviewed systematically.

Conclusion

The present review investigation is very much helpful for researchers and readers to collectively have valuable information on chemistry, pharmacology and biological effects of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. The present investigation concludes that the white turmeric is found to possess complex range of phytoconstituents such as curcumin, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, β-turmerone, β-eudesmol, zingiberene, dihydrocurcumin, furanodiene, α-phellandrene, 1–8 cineole, β-elemense and germacrone. Due to the presence of wide range of phytoconstituents, plants have been reported for its diverse biological activities.

In vitro and in vivo investigation of polypharmacology of propolis extract as anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and chemical properties

Numerous compounds derived from natural sources such as microbes, plants, and insects have proven to be safe, efficacious, and cost-effective therapeutics for human diseases. This study examined the bioactivities of propolis, a structural sealant and antibacterial/antifungal agent produced by honey bees. Chinese propolis was extracted in methanol or hexane. Propolis significantly reduced the numbers of viable cancer cells when applied as a methanol extract (IC50 values in μg/mL for the indicated cell line: MDA-MB-231, 74.12; LoVo, 74.12; HepG2, 77.74; MCF7, 95.10; A549, 114.84) or a hexane extract (MDA-MB-231, 52.11; LoVo, 45.9; HepG2, 52.11; MCF7, 78.01; A549, 67.90). Hexane extract also induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells according to activated caspase-3/7 expression assays (17.6 ± 2.9% at 150 μg/mL and 89.2 ± 1.9% at 300 μg/mL vs 3.4 ± 0.4% in vehicle control), suppressed the growth of Candida albicans and multiple multidrug-resistant and nonresistant Gram-positive bacteria, and inhibited croton oil-induced skin inflammation when applied as topical treatment. GC-MS identified hexadecanoic acid methyl ester as a major constituent (33.6%). Propolis hexane extract has potential anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Cytotoxic, and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Hedychium flavum Rhizome

Hedychium flavum Roxb., a medicinal, edible, and ornamental plant, is widely cultivated throughout China, India, and Southeast Asia. The rhizome from this plant has been used for food flavoring and in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diverse diseases, but the detailed constituents and bioactivities are still limited known. Therefore, phytochemical analysis by GC-MS and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS, and antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and enzyme inhibitory activities tests have been conducted in the current study. Based on the GC-MS results, the essential oil (EO) of rhizome was mainly composed of coronarin E (20.3%), β-pinene (16.8%), E-nerolidol (11.8%), and linalool (8.5%). Among them, coronarin E was reported in H. flavum EO firstly. Furthermore, the spectrophotometric indicated rhizome had high total phenolic content (TPC, 50.08-57.42 mg GAEs/g extract) and total flavonoid content (TFC, 12.45-21.83 mg REs/g extract), no matter in water extract (WE) or in 70% ethanol extract (EE). UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was applied to further characterize composition, and 86 compounds were putatively identified from WE and EE, including 13 phenolic components. For the bioactivities, both WE and EE showed remarkable antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS tests, being superior to the positive control (butylated hydroxytoluene, BTH). EO revealed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris with DIZ (10.34-24.43 mm), MIC (78.13-312.50 μg/mL), and MBC (156.25-625.00 μg/mL). Moreover, EO exhibited a considerable selectivity to human tumor cell K562 (IC₅₀ = 27.16 μg/mL), and its toxicity was more than 3.5-fold different from that of non-cancerous MRC-5 cell (IC₅₀ = 95.96 μg/mL) and L929 cell (IC₅₀ = 129.91 μg/mL). A series of apoptosis analysis demonstrated that EO induced apoptosis against K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In enzyme inhibitory effect assays, WE and EE showed strong α-glucosidase inhibition activity, being superior to the positive control (acarbose). Besides, the EO, WE, and EE didn't show a promising inhibition on tyrosinase (19.30-32.51 mg KAEs/g sample) and exhibited a weak inhibitory effect on cholinesterase. Based on the current results, H. flavum could be considered as a source of bioactive compounds and has high exploitation potential in the cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries.

Harnessing enzyme plasticity for the synthesis of oxygenated sesquiterpenoids

8-Methoxy-γ-humulene, (E)-8-methoxy-β-farnesene, 12-methoxy-β-sesquiphellandrene and 12-methoxyzingiberene can be synthesised in amorphadiene synthase-catalysed reactions from 8- and 12-methoxyfarnesyl diphosphates due to the highly plastic yet tightly controlled carbocationic chemistry of this sesquiterpene cyclase.

Curcumin and Curcumol Inhibit NF-κB and TGF-β 1/Smads Signaling Pathways in CSE-Treated RAW246.7 Cells

E-Zhu (Curcuma zedoaria) is known as a classical traditional Chinese medicine and widely used in the treatment of cancers, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and other diseases. Its main components include curcumol and curcumin, which have anti-inflammatory and antifibrosis effects. Here we established an in vitro inflammatory injury model by stimulating RAW246.7 cells with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and detected the intervention effects of curcumin and curcumol on CSE-treated Raw246.7 macrophage cells to explore whether the two compounds inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. We detected the antifibrosis effects of curcumin and curcumol via TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathways. The model of macrophage damage group was established by CSE stimulation. Curcumol and curcumin were administered to Raw246.7 macrophage cells. The efficacy of curcumol and curcumin was evaluated by comparing the activation of proinflammatory factors, profibrotic factors, and NF-κB and TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway. In addition, CSE-treated group was employed to detect whether the efficacy of curcumol and curcumin was dependent on the NF-κB signaling via the pretreatment with the inhibitor of NF-κB. Our findings demonstrated that curcumol and curcumin could reduce the release of intracellular ROS from macrophages, inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway, and downregulate the release of proinflammatory factor. Curcumol and curcumin inhibited the TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway and downregulated the release of fibrotic factors. Curcumin showed no anti-inflammatory effect in CSE-treated cells after the inhibition of NF-κB. Curcumol and curcumin showed an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Muscodor brasiliensis sp. nov. produces volatile organic compounds with activity against Penicillium digitatum

Endophytic fungi belonging to Muscodor genus are considered as promising alternatives to be used in biological control due to the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The strains LGMF1255 and LGMF1256 were isolated from the medicinal plant Schinus terebinthifolius and, by morphological data and phylogenetic analysis, identified as belonging to Muscodor genus. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that strain LGMF1256 is a new species, which is herein introduced as Muscodor brasiliensis sp. nov. The analysis of VOCs production revealed that compounds phenylethyl alcohol, α-curcumene, and E (β) farnesene until now has been reported only from M. brasiliensis, data that supports the classification of strain LGMF1256 as a new species. M. brasiliensis completely inhibited the phytopathogen P. digitatum in vitro. We also evaluated the ability of VOCs from LGMF1256 to inhibit the development of green mold symptoms by inoculation of P. digitatum in detached oranges. M. brasiliensis reduced the severity of diseases in 77%, and showed potential to be used for fruits storage and transportation to prevent the green mold symptoms development, eventually reducing the use of fungicides.

Chemical constituents and biological research on plants in the genus Curcuma

Curcuma, a valuable genus in the family Zingiberaceae, includes approximately 110 species. These plants are native to Southeast Asia and are extensively cultivated in India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Peru, Australia, and the West Indies. The plants have long been used in folk medicine to treat stomach ailments, stimulate digestion, and protect the digestive organs, including the intestines, stomach, and liver. In recent years, substantial progress has been achieved in investigations regarding the chemical and pharmacological properties, as well as in clinical trials of certain Curcuma species. This review comprehensively summarizes the current knowledge on the chemistry and briefly discusses the biological activities of Curcuma species. A total of 720 compounds, including 102 diphenylalkanoids, 19 phenylpropene derivatives, 529 terpenoids, 15 flavonoids, 7 steroids, 3 alkaloids, and 44 compounds of other types isolated or identified from 32 species, have been phytochemically investigated. The biological activities of plant extracts and pure compounds are classified into 15 groups in detail, with emphasis on anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities.

Potassium Iodate Differently Regulates the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Human Thyroid Cancer Cells via Modulating miR-146a

The effects of different doses of potassium iodate (KIO₃) on the malignancy of thyroid cancer were investigated. Results showed that the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SW579 thyroid cancer cells were improved by 10^-6 M KIO₃, which was associated with microRNA(miR)-146a deficit; 10^-2 M KIO₃ significantly enhanced miR-146a level and suppressed SW579 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The diverse effects of KIO₃ on SW579 cells were associated with the expression changes in miR-146a targets, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3. Our study concludes that different doses of KIO₃ have counteracting effects on the malignancy of thyroid cancer through modulating miR-146a level.

Molecular characterization of antitumor effects of the rhizome extract from Curcuma zedoaria on human esophageal carcinoma cells

Curcuma zedoaria has been used as a traditional agent against malignant diseases. To elucidate detailed mechanisms producing such an activity, characterization and determination of molecular mechanisms of its antitumor effects was conducted. Inhibiting activities against cell proliferation, invasion and colony formation, and expression levels of corresponding molecules were investigated using human esophageal cancer TE-8 cells treated with the rhizome extract from C. zedoaria. Antitumor effect of the extract administered orally was also examined in tumor-bearing mice. The extract possessed strong anti-proliferation and invasion activities against TE-8 cells. Further, upregulated PTEN and downregulated phosphorylated Akt, mTOR and STAT3 expressions in the cells were induced shortly after treatment with the extract, followed by attenuation of FGFR1 and MMP-2, activation of caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP, and suppression of Bcl-2 expressions, which led the cells to apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, tumor formation in mice was significantly suppressed through the oral administration of the extract. Taken together, these results suggest that the C. zedoaria extract could be a promising agent against esophageal cancer.

Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc. essential oil and paclitaxel synergistically enhance the apoptosis of SKOV3 cells

Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc. essential oil (CZEO) is the major component of Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Rosc., a traditional medicine with antitumor activity. Paclitaxel (PTX) is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent used to treat patients with ovarian cancer. These compounds directly target nuclear DNA, in order to suppress or inhibit tumor cell growth. The present study aimed to determine the synergistic antitumor effects of CZEO and PTX on the SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cell line. SKOV3 cells were treated with CZEO, PTX or a combination of the two and cell viability was detected using cell counting kit-8. In addition, flow cytometry was used to determined cell apoptosis as well as for cell cycle analysis. The morpho-logical changes of apoptosis were assessed using Hoechst 33342 staining and the expression levels of apoptotic pathway proteins, including caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), were quantified using western blot analysis. The cell viability assay indicated that either of these compounds alone or in combination suppressed the growth of SKOV3 cells. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis indicated that treatment with a combination of CZEO and PTX resulted in increased inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis of SKOV3 cells, as compared with treatment with either of the compounds alone. In addition, the protein expression levels of caspase-3 were increased following treatment with a combination of CZEO and PTX. The results of the present study suggested that CZEO and PTX synergistically enhanced the inhibition of SKOV3 proliferation, and the possible underlying mechanism may be the induction of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This therefore indicated that PTX supplemented with CZEO may be an effective treatment strategy to decrease the dose and toxicity of PTX.

Quercetin inhibits proliferation and invasion acts by up-regulating miR-146a in human breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancies in the world which seriously impacts the female health. In recent years, various studies have been reported to determine the relevance of miRNAs to human cancer. One of these miRNAs, miR-146a has been down-regulated in multiple human cancer types, but up-regulation showed inducing apoptosis. To determine the role of quercetin treated on breast cancer, we investigated the effect of quercetin on cell proliferation in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with/without transfection of miR-146a mimic or anti-miR-146a. Furthermore, the expressions of bax and cleaved-caspase-3, mainly were increased in control and overexpression miR-146a groups, however, the expression of EGFR was inverse. All the results demonstrated that quercetin exhibited excellent effect on inhibiting cell proliferation in human breast cancer cells, which was performed by up-regulating miR-146a expression, then via inducing apoptosis through caspase-3 activation and mitochondrial-dependent pathways, and inhibiting invasion through down-regulating the expression of EGFR.