Caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces radiosensitization via inhibition of DNA damage repair in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

In the present study, we evaluated the radiomodulatory potential of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an active component of traditional herbal medicine propolis. CAPE has been identified as a potent anticancer agent in multiple cancer types and is reported to have the dual role of radioprotection and radiosensitization. However, the radiomodulatory potential of CAPE in prostate cancer (PCa), which eventually becomes radioresistant is not known. Therefore, we studied the effect of co-treatment of CAPE and gamma radiation on androgen-independent DU145 and PC3 cells. The combination treatment sensitized PCa cells to radiation in a dose-dependent manner. The radiosensitizing effect of CAPE was observed in both cell lines. CAPE enhanced the level of ionizing radiation (IR)-induced gamma H2AX foci and cell death by apoptosis. The combination treatment also decreased the migration potential of PCa cells. This was confirmed by increased expression of E-cadherin and decrease in vimentin expression. CAPE sensitized PCa cells to radiation in vitro and induced apoptosis, augmented phosphorylation of Akt/mTOR, and hampered cell migration. At the mechanistic level, co-treatment of CAPE and IR inhibited cell growth by decreasing RAD50 and RAD51 proteins involved in DNA repair. This resulted in enhanced DNA damage and cell death. CAPE might represent a promising new adjuvant for the treatment of hormone-refractory radioresistant PCa.

Therapeutic efficacy of Phyllanthus emblica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles in A549 lung cancer cell line.

Aim: Present work was undertaken to fabricate iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) using a green approach for increased therapeutic efficacy. Materials & methods: Two types of IONPs were synthesized, one without any coating (IONPUC) and other coated with Phyllanthus emblica (Amla) fruit extract (IONPA). Both the IONPs were characterized using different techniques and therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in A549 human lung cancer cell line. Results: IONPA were smaller in size with better dispersibility compared with IONPUC. They induced increased reactive oxygen species production, higher DNA damage and apoptosis, which resulted in increased toxicity to cancer cells in comparison to IONPUC. Conclusion: Higher uptake of IONPA and active components coating the surface, may be responsible for the increased therapeutic efficacy in cancer cells.

Emodin and Its Role in Chronic Diseases.

Diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 60 % of all deaths. Although substantial medical advances have been made and many therapeutic approaches proposed yet traditional medicine and medicinal plants find an important place in therapy. They have been providing invaluable solutions to the various health problems. Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is a natural anthraquinone derivative found in various Chinese medicinal herbs. Traditionally, it has been used as an active constituent of many herbal laxatives. However, in the last few years, significant progress has been made in studying the biological effects of emodin at cellular and molecular levels and it is emerging as an important therapeutic agent. This review provides an overview of the modulatory effects of emodin in various diseases and cell signaling pathways, which may have important implications in its future clinical use.

Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms of Radioprotective Effects of Naringenin, a Phytochemical from Citrus Fruits.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the radioprotective effects of naringenin in vivo using Swiss albino mice as a model system. Oral administration of 50 mg/kg body weight of naringenin for 7 days prior to radiation exposure protected mice against radiation-induced DNA, chromosomal and membrane damage. Naringenin pretreatment also increased the antioxidant status of irradiated mice. Multiple factors operating at cellular and molecular levels led to increased endogenous spleen colonies and survival of mice. Although naringenin induces apoptosis in cancer cells we found that it can protect against radiation-induced apoptosis in normal cells by modulating the expression of p53, Bax, and Bcl-2. The results from the present study indicate that naringenin inhibits the NF-kB pathway and down regulates radiation-induced apoptotic proteins resulting in radioprotection at the cellular, tissue and organism levels.

Chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of "naringenin," a flavanone present in citrus fruits.

Cancer is one of the major causes of deaths in developed countries and is emerging as a major public health burden in developing countries too. Changes in cancer prevalence patterns have been noticed due to rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles. One of the major concerns is an influence of dietary habits on cancer rates. Approaches to prevent cancer are many and chemoprevention or dietary cancer prevention is one of them. Therefore, nutritional practices are looked at as effective types of dietary cancer prevention strategies. Attention has been given to identifying plant-derived dietary agents, which could be developed as a promising chemotherapeutic with minimal toxic side effects. Naringenin, a phytochemical mainly present in citrus fruits and tomatoes, is a frequent component of the human diet and has gained increasing interest because of its positive health effects not only in cancer prevention but also in noncancer diseases. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in studying the biological effects of naringenin at cellular and molecular levels. This review examines the cancer chemopreventive/therapeutic effects of naringenin in an organ-specific format, evaluating its limitations, and its considerable potential for development as a cancer chemopreventive/therapeutic agent.