Methanol extract of Flacourtia indica aerial parts induces apoptosis via generation of ROS and activation of caspases in human colon cancer HCT116 cells.

Different plant parts of Flacourtia indica have long been used in Ayurvedic medicine. Previous studies have demonstrated that the methanolic extract of F. indica possess anti-inflammatory properties. The present study was aimed at investigating the anticancer effects of methanol extract of Flacourtia indica (FIM) aerial parts in human colon cancer (HCT116) cells. Treatment of cells with FIM at a concentration of 500 µg/ml for 24 hours significantly reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis, which was associated with the increased cytoplasmic expression of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, and the cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Incubation with FIM also inhibited the levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and survivin, which are the markers of cell proliferation, whereas the expression of Bax remained unchanged. Treatment with FIM led to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a concentration-dependent manner. Pharmacological inhibition of ROS generation by pretreatment of cells with N-acetyl cysteine abrogated FIM-induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Thus, these results demonstrate that FIM has anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in HCT116 cells and the effects are, at least in part, due to the ROS dependent activation of caspases.

Mechanistic perspectives on cancer chemoprevention/chemotherapeutic effects of thymoquinone.

The bioactive natural products (plant secondary metabolites) are widely known to possess therapeutic value for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases including cancer. Thymoquinone (2-methyl-5-isopropyl-1,4-benzoquinone; TQ), a monoterpene present in black cumin seeds, exhibits pleiotropic pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antitumor effects. TQ inhibits experimental carcinogenesis in a wide range of animal models and has been shown to arrest the growth of various cancer cells in culture as well as xenograft tumors in vivo. The mechanistic basis of anticancer effects of TQ includes the inhibition of carcinogen metabolizing enzyme activity and oxidative damage of cellular macromolecules, attenuation of inflammation, induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells, blockade of tumor angiogenesis, and suppression of migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. TQ shows synergistic and/or potentiating anticancer effects when combined with clinically used chemotherapeutic agents. At the molecular level, TQ targets various components of intracellular signaling pathways, particularly a variety of upstream kinases and transcription factors, which are aberrantly activated during the course of tumorigenesis.

Biochemical basis of cancer chemoprevention and/or chemotherapy with ginsenosides (Review).

Cancer still imposes a global threat to public health. After decades of research on cancer biology and enormous efforts in developing anticancer therapies, we now understand that the majority of cancers can be prevented. Bioactive phytochemicals present in edible plants have been shown to reduce the risk of various types of cancer. Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), which contains a wide variety of saponins, known as ginsenosides, is an age-old remedy for human ailments, including cancer. Numerous laboratory-based studies have revealed the anticancer properties of ginsenosides, which compel tumor cells to commit suicide, arrest the proliferation of cancer cells in culture and inhibit experimentally-induced tumor formation in laboratory animals. Ginsenosides have been reported to inhibit tumor angiogenesis, as well as the invasion and metastasis of various types of cancer cells. Moreover, ginsenosides as combination therapy enhance the sensitivity of chemoresistant tumors to clinically used chemotherapeutic agents. This review sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic activity of ginsenosides and their intestinal metabolites with particular focus on the modulation of cell signaling pathways associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and the metastasis of cancer cells.

Antitumor and antibacterial activity of ethylacetate extract of Ludwigia hyssopifolia linn and its active principle piperine.

An alkaloid constituent 1-[5-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-1-oxo-2,4-pentadienyl]piperidine, trivial name piperine was isolated from Ludwigia hyssopifolia Linn. (Family-Onagraceae). The ethylacetate extract of the plant and the isolated compound piperine were studied for antitumor and in vitro antibacterial activity. Ethylacetate extract showed 73.05 and 84.14% inhibition of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced crown gall tumor formation in potato disc. Piperine exhibited antitumor activity with IC50 value of 13.50 microg/disc. Both ethylacetate extract and piperine showed mild to moderate antibacterial activity against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.