RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Bacopa monnieri (BM) is traditionally used in human diseases for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, its anticancer potential has been poorly understood. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the detailed anticancer mechanism of BM against oral cancer and to identify the bioactive BM fraction for possible cancer therapeutics. RESULTS: We performed bioactivity-guided fractionation and identified that the aqueous fraction of the ethanolic extract of BM (BM-AF) had a potent anticancer potential in both in vitro and in vivo oral cancer models. BM-AF inhibited cell viability, colony formation, cell migration and induced apoptotic cell death in Cal33 and FaDu cells. BM-AF at low doses promoted mitophagy and BM-AF mediated mitophagy was PARKIN dependent. In addition, BM-AF inhibited arecoline induced reactive oxygen species production in Cal33 cells. Moreover, BM-AF supressed arecoline-induced NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation through mitophagy in Cal33 cells. The in vivo antitumor effect of BM-AF was further validated in C57BL/6J mice through a 4-nitroquinolin-1-oxide and arecoline-induced oral cancer model. The tumor incidence was significantly reduced in the BM-AF treated group. Further, data obtained from western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis showed increased expression of apoptotic markers and decreased expression of inflammasome markers in the tongue tissue obtained from BM-AF treated mice in comparison with the non-treated tumor bearing mice. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, BM-AF exhibited potent anticancer activity through apoptosis induction and mitophagy-dependent inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both in vitro and in vivo oral cancer models. Moreover, we have investigated apoptosis and mitophagy-inducing compounds from this plant extract having anticancer activity against oral cancer cells.