Gemcitabine­fucoxanthin combination in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Gemcitabine is a chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer treatment. It has also been demonstrated to inhibit human pancreatic cancer cell lines, MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the suppressive effect of fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid, in combination with gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer cells. MTT assays and cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry were performed to study the mechanism of action. The results revealed that combining a low dose of fucoxanthin with gemcitabine enhanced the cell viability of human embryonic kidney cells, 293, while a high dose of fucoxanthin enhanced the inhibitory effect of gemcitabine on the cell viability of this cell line. In addition, the enhanced effect of fucoxanthin on the inhibitory effect of gemcitabine on PANC-1 cells was significant (P<0.01). Fucoxanthin combined with gemcitabine also exerted significant enhancement of the anti-proliferation effect in MIA PaCa-2 cells in a concentration dependent manner (P<0.05), compared with gemcitabine treatment alone. In conclusion, fucoxanthin improved the cytotoxicity of gemcitabine on human pancreatic cancer cells at concentrations that were not cytotoxic to non-cancer cells. Thus, fucoxanthin has the potential to be used as an adjunct in pancreatic cancer treatment.

Combination of marine bioactive compounds and extracts for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Background: In recent years, marine-based functional foods and combination therapy are receiving greater recognition for their roles in healthy lifestyle applications and are being investigated as viable and effective strategies for disease treatment or prevention. Aim of the review: This review article presents and discusses the relevant scientific publications that have studied the synergistic and additive effects of natural marine bioactive compounds and extract combinations with anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemopreventive activities in the last two decades. The paper presents the mechanism of action and health benefits of developed combinations and discusses the limitation of the studies. Furthermore, it recommends alternatives and directions for future studies. Finally, it highlights the factors for developing novel combinations of marine bioactive compounds. Key scientific concepts of review: Combination of marine bioactive compounds or extracts affords synergistic or additive effects by multiple means, such as multi-target effects, enhancing the bioavailability, boosting the bioactivity, and neutralizing adverse effects of compounds in the mixture. For the development of marine-based combinations, there are key points for consideration and issues to address: knowledge of the mechanism of action of individual compounds and their combinations, optimum ratio and dosing of compounds, and experimental models must all be taken into account. Strategies to increase the number and diversity of marine combinations, and further development of marine-based functional foods, are available. However, only a small number of natural marine bioactive combinations have been assessed, and most research has been focused on fish oil and carotenoid synergy. Therefore, more research and resources should be spent on developing novel marine bioactive combinations as functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Preparation, Characterization, and Immuno-Enhancing Activity of Polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis is a Chinese herbal medicine with various bioactivities. Three fractions (GUPS-I, GUPS-II and GUPS-III) of G. uralensis polysaccharides (GUPS) were obtained with molecular weights of 1.06, 29.1, and 14.9 kDa, respectively. The monosaccharide compositions of GUPS-II and GUPS-III were similar, while that of GUPS-I was distinctively different. The results of scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR, and NMR suggested that GUPS-II and GUPS-III were flaky with a smooth surface and contained α- and ß-glycosidic linkages, while GUPS-I was granulated and contained only α-glycosidic linkages. Moreover, GUPS-II and GUPS-III exhibited better bioactivities on the maturation and cytokine production of dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro than that of GUPS-I. An in vivo experiment showed that only GUPS-II significantly enhanced the maturation of DCs. These results indicate that GUPS-II has the potential to be used in combination with cancer immunotherapy to enhance the therapeutic effect.

N-Butanol Subfraction of Brassica Rapa L. Promotes Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Induces Apoptosis of A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells via Mitochondria-Dependent Pathway.

Brassica rapa L., an edible and medical vegetable, has been traditionally used in Uyghur folk medicine to treat coughs and asthma in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. In this study, we prepared an n-butanol subfraction of B. rapa L. (BRBS) and investigated the anti-tumor effect on A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. The proliferation of A549 cells was significantly inhibited by BRBS treatment in a dose- and time-dependent manner. BRBS significantly induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c, which promoted caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase processing. Moreover, BRBS significantly suppressed the migration of A549 cells in vitro. These results suggest that BRBS inhibited A549 cell proliferation through increased ROS production and the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway. Consequently, BRBS might be a potential candidate for the treatment of lung cancer.

Purification, characterization and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Pleurotus ferulae.

Pleurotus ferulae is an edible mushroom and has been used in Uygur medicine for a long time. In this study, we purified polysaccharides from P. ferulae (PFPS) and investigated its structural characteristics. We obtained a homogeneous PFPS with a molecular weight of around 1600 kDa and prominent characteristic polysaccharide groups, which mainly contained glucose (97%), followed by mannose and galactose (3%). Both 1H and 13C NMR spectra indicated that PFPS contained both α- and ß-anomeric configurations. Atomic force microscopy and Congo red-staining data further suggested that PFPS belonged to a linear branched structure that existed in flexible single chains at low concentrations and could form aggregates such as a triple-helical structure at high concentrations. Moreover, PFPS promoted the maturation of dendritic cells through a TLR4 mediated signaling pathway, which is characterized by the increased expressions of CD40, CD86, IL-12 and TNF-α and the decreased endocytosis. The results suggest that PFPS has immunoregulatory activities.