Lipid-soluble ginseng extract induces apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in NCI-H460 human lung cancer cells

Effects of Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl. extract and verbascoside on human dermal papilla and murine macrophage

Androgenic alopecia is a common type of hair loss, usually caused by testosterone metabolism generating dihydrotestosterone and hair follicular micro-inflammation. These processes induce dermal papilla cells to undergo apoptosis. Currently approved effective medications for alopecia are Finasteride, an oral 5α-reductase inhibitor, Minoxidil, a topical hair growth promoter, and Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory agent, all of which, however, have several adverse side effects. In our study, we showed the bioactivity of Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl. (AE) extract performed by 95% ethanol, and verbascoside (VB), a biomarker of AE extract. Both AE extract and VB were studied for their effects on dermal papilla cell viability and the cell cycle by using MTT assay and flow cytometry. The effect of an anti-inflammatory activity of AE extract and VB on IL-1β, NO, and TNF-α, released from LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells, and IL-1α and IL-6 released from irradiated dermal papilla cells were detected using ELISA technique. The preventive effect on dermal papilla cell apoptosis induced by testosterone was determined by MTT assay. In controlled in vitro assays it was found that AE extract and VB at various concentrations induced dermal papilla cell proliferation which was indicated by an increase in the number of cells in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. AE extract at 250 µg/mL concentration or VB at 62.50 µg/mL concentration prevented cell apoptosis induced by testosterone at a statistically significant level. In addition, both AE extract and VB greatly inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from RAW 264.7 and dermal papilla cells. The release of IL-1β, TNF-α, and NO from RAW 264.7 cells, as well as IL-1α and IL-6 from dermal papilla cells, was also diminished by AE extract 250 µg/mL and VB 125 µg/mL. Our results indicate that AE extract and VB are promising ingredients for anti-hair loss applications. However, further clinical study is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of AE extract and VB as treatment for actual hair loss.

Red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) oil: A comprehensive review of extraction technologies, chemical composition, health benefits, molecular mechanisms, and safety

Red ginseng oil (RGO), rather than the conventional aqueous extract of red ginseng, has been receiving much attention due to accumulating evidence of its functional and pharmacological potential. In this review, we describe the key extraction technologies, chemical composition, potential health benefits, and safety of RGO. This review emphasizes the proposed molecular mechanisms by which RGO is involved in various bioactivities. RGO is mainly produced using organic solvents or supercritical fluid extraction, with the choice of method greatly affecting the yield and quality of the end products. RGO contains a high unsaturated fatty acid levels along with considerable amounts of lipophilic components such as phytosterols, tocopherols, and polyacetylenes. The beneficial health properties of RGO include cellular defense, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, chemoprevention, hair growth promotion, and skin health improvement. We propose several molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that underlie the bioactivity of RGO. In addition, RGO is regarded as safe and nontoxic. Further studies on RGO must focus on a deeper understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms, composition–functionality relationship, and verification of the bioactivities of RGO in clinical models. This review may provide useful information in the development of RGO-based products in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and functional cosmetics.

New Insights into the Mechanisms of Polyphenol from Plum Fruit Inducing Apoptosis in Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells Via PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 Pathway

Recent studies have been found that polyphenols from plums fruits can inhibit the proliferation of multiple cancer cells, while the molecular mechanism was unclear. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the pro-apoptotic effect of purified plum polyphenols (PPP) on human lung cancer A549 cells. Quercitrin (quercetin-3-O-glucoside, 814.19 ± 40.71 mg/g) was identified as the primary polyphenol in PPP via ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). PPP showed a strong capacity for inhibiting the proliferation of the A549 cells by inducing apoptosis, which was reflected by an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Additionally, the inhibitory rate of PPP on the A549 cells were higher than that of vitamin C when the treatment dose exceeded 160 μg/mL. Transcriptome analysis suggested that PPP-induced apoptosis was closely associated with regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box protein O 1 (FOXO1) pathway in the A549 cells. Subsequently, as an activator of AKT, SC79 was applied to confirm that the inhibition of AKT phosphorylation play an important role in the PPP-induced apoptosis of the A549 cells. These results illustrated the potential of PPP as a dietary compound for the prevention of cancer or for use during chemotherapy.

Inhibition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Apulian Brassica oleracea L. and Crithmum maritimum L

Nowadays, a growing body of evidence supports the view that plants offer an extraordinary opportunity to discover and develop new promising therapeutic strategies for many diseases, including cancer. Here we tested the anticancer action against Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of extracts obtained from two plants harvested in Apulia, namely Brassica oleracea L. and Crithmum maritimum L. B. oleracea was grown in biodynamical agriculture without any agrochemical input, instead C. maritimum was collected on Apulian coasts and is still commonly eaten in Apulia. HCC, one of the most frequent tumors worldwide, is estimated to become the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Western Countries by 2030. The approved synthetic drugs for the treatment of HCC are currently inadequate in terms of therapeutic results and tolerability. Hence, aim of the present study was to test the anticancer action against HCC of extracts obtained from Brassica oleracea L. and Crithmum maritimum L. We preliminary prepared extracts from both plants using four solvents with different polarity: hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and ethanol. Then, we tested the effect of the different fractions in inhibiting HCC cell growth. Finally, we characterized the mechanism of action of the most effective fraction. We found that ethyl acetate fractions from both plants were the most effective in inhibiting HCC growth. In particular, we demonstrated that these fractions effectively reduce HCC growth by exerting, on one hand, a cytostatic effect through their action on the cell cycle, and on the other hand by triggering apoptosis and necrosis. Our findings support the notion that ethyl acetate fractions from Apulian B. oleracea and C. maritimum can be in perspective considered as promising tools to expand the opportunities to identify new and not toxic anticancer therapeutic approaches for HCC. Further pharmacological investigations will shed light on how this could be effectively achieved. Graphical Abstract Experimental workflow for the detection of the ethyl acetate extract of Brassica oleracea L. and Crithmum maritimum L. as an active fraction in inhibiting HCC cell growth.

Comparative Study of Onion (Allium cepa) and Leek (Allium ampeloprasum): Identification of Organosulphur Compounds by UPLC-QTOF/MS and Anticancer Effect on MCF-7 Cells

Onion (Allium cepa) and leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) are common herbs and vegetables found in our daily life. It belongs to the genus Allium, which is usually known for their high antioxidant and anticancer properties. Medical researchers highly recommend the exploitation of herbs and plants as alternative ways in the treatment of cancer. This research was designed to study the anticancer effects of onion and leek extracts on MCF-7 human breast cancer cell. Crude extracts of ethanol, methanol, and water of onion and leek were obtained by maceration. MCF-7 cells were cultured in complete media at 37 °C and subjected to different treatments that involved varying concentrations (10, 50, and 100 μg/mL) of onion and leek extracts for 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. The percentage of cell viability and the concentration of extracts on MCF-7 cells were determined using MTT assay. The water leek extract proved to be the most effective extract at 50 μg/mL, whereby it showed a significant inhibition ability due to the presence of entadamide A-β-D-glucopyranoside as identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS). Further studies about the mechanism of both extracts in causing cell death and the determination of the presence of other bioactive compounds in the extracts are needed.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of ginsenosides from Korean Red Ginseng with cytotoxic activity against human lung adenocarcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In this study, we used a bioactivity-guided isolation technique to identify constituents of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) with antiproliferative activity against human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

METHODS

Bioactivity-guided fractionation and preparative/semipreparative HPLC purification were used with LC/MS analysis to separate the bioactive constituents. Cell viability and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines (A549, H1264, H1299, and Calu-6) after treatment with KRG extract fractions and constituents thereof were assessed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Caspase activation was assessed by detecting its surrogate marker, cleaved poly adenosine diphosphate (ADP-ribose) polymerase, using an immunoblot assay. The expression and subcellular localization of apoptosis-inducing factor were assessed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the KRG extract revealed that its ethyl acetate-soluble fraction exerts significant cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines tested by inducing apoptosis. Chemical investigation of the ethyl acetatesoluble fraction led to the isolation of six ginsenosides, including ginsenoside Rb1 (1), ginsenoside Rb2 (2), ginsenoside Rc (3), ginsenoside Rd (4), ginsenoside Rg1 (5), and ginsenoside Rg3 (6). Among the isolated ginsenosides, ginsenoside Rg3 exhibited the most cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines examined, with IC50 values ranging from 161.1 μM to 264.6 μM. The cytotoxicity of ginsenoside Rg3 was found to be mediated by induction of apoptosis in a caspase-independent manner. These findings provide experimental evidence for a novel biological activity of ginsenoside Rg3 against human lung cancer cells.

Pharmacological effect of prohibited combination pair Panax ginseng and Veratrum nigrum on colorectal metastasis in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The pharmacological effect derived from herb-herb interaction is important to constitute the prescription especially in traditional oriental medicine. The relationship of two medicinal herbs is called "couplet medicinals" which is used in pair for the purpose of enhancing the therapeutic effect, reducing the toxic effect or the adverse effect. The "Eighteen Incompatible Medicaments" constitute one of the contents in the incompatibility of traditional oriental drugs in a prescription. Among the "Eighteen Incompatible Medicaments", the roots and rhizomes of Veratrum nigrum (VN), is incompatible with the roots and rhizomes of Panax ginseng (PG). However, definite evidences of adverse effect by these combinations has yet to be reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ethanol extracts of PG, VN, and their combination (P + V) on the metastatic ability of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells using WST assay, flow cytometry, western blot analysis, real-time RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, migration assay, invasion assay, zymography, and an in vivo experiment with a lung-metastasis mouse model.

RESULTS

The PG extract decreased cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of CRC cells. In addition, PG inhibited metastatic abilities of CRC cells including Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, migration, and invasion. Additionally, the PG extract suppressed lung metastasis of the CRC cells in the mouse model. However, the P + V extract exhibited weaker anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects than PG alone.

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, the P + V couplet medicinal attenuates the anti-metastatic effects of PG, both in vitro and in vivo.

Protective Effects of Red Ginseng Oil against Aβ25-35-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis and Inflammation in PC12 Cells

One of pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD), aggregation and deposition of β amyloid (Aβ), has been accepted as a potent activator of neuronal cell death. Red ginseng is well-known for various pharmacological activities, but most studies have been focused on red ginseng water extract (RGW), which has resulted in the conception of the present study of red ginseng oil (RGO) against Aβ_25-35-induced neurotoxicity. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction by Aβ were verified and the underlying mechanism by which RGO inhibited neuronal cell death, mitochondria dysfunction and NF-κB pathway related protein markers were evaluated. RGO attenuated Aβ_25-35-induced apoptosis, not only by inhibiting calcium influx, but also by reducing mitochondrial membrane potential loss. RGO significantly decreased Bax, whereas increased Bcl-2 and inactivated of caspase-3 and -9 and PARP-1 stimulated by Aβ_25-35. Anti-neuroinflammatory effect of RGO was demonstrated by downregulating c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38, resulting in inhibiting of the NF-κB pathway and thereby suppressing the expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The present study revealed that RGO is a potential natural resource of the functional foods industry as well as a promising candidate of multi-target neuronal protective agent for the prevention of AD.

An Aqueous Extract of Tuberaria lignosa Inhibits Cell Growth, Alters the Cell Cycle Profile, and Induces Apoptosis of NCI-H460 Tumor Cells

Tuberaria lignosa (Sweet) Samp. is found in European regions, and has antioxidant properties due to its composition in ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds. Given its traditional use and antioxidant properties, the tumor cell growth inhibitory potential of aqueous extracts from T. lignosa (prepared by infusion and decoction) was investigated in three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), and HCT-15 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma). Both extracts inhibited the growth of these cell lines; the most potent one being the T. lignosa extract obtained by infusion in the NCI-H460 cells (GI₅₀ of approximately 50 μg/mL). Further assays were carried out with this extract in NCI-H460 cells. At 100 μg/mL or 150 μg/mL it caused an increase in the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and a decrease of cells in S phase of the cell cycle. Additionally, these concentrations caused an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells. In agreement, a decrease in total poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and pro-caspase 3 levels was found. In conclusion, the T. lignosa extract obtained by infusion was more potent in NCI-H460 cells, altering the cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis. This work highlights the importance of T. lignosa as a source of bioactive compounds with tumor cell growth inhibitory potential.

Lipid-soluble ginseng extract inhibits invasion and metastasis of B16F10 melanoma cells

This study was performed to elucidate the effect of a lipid-soluble ginseng extract (LSGE) on cancer invasion and metastasis. The LSGE, even at noncytotoxic concentrations, potently inhibited invasion and migration of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of 3 μg/mL of LSGE, the invasion and migration of B16F10 cells were significantly inhibited by 98.1% and 71.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the LSGE decreased mRNA and protein levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 in B16F10 cells, leading to a decrease in MMP-2 activity. After B16F10 cells were intravenously injected in the tail vein of C57BL/6 mice, 1000 mg/kg/day of LSGE was orally administered for 13 days, after which lung metastasis of cancer cells was inhibited by 59.3%. These findings indicate that LSGE inhibits cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro and lung metastasis of melanoma cells in vivo by inhibiting MMP-2 expression.

A limited role of p53 on the ability of a Hexane fraction of American ginseng to suppress mouse colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is debilitating and carries a high colon cancer risk. Apoptosis of inflammatory cells is a key mechanism regulating UC. We have recently shown that American ginseng (AG), and to a greater extent, a Hexane fraction of AG (HAG) can cause apoptosis and suppress mouse colitis through a p53-mediated mechanism. Here, we tested the hypothesis that HAG suppresses colitis through a p53 mechanism. We found only a limited impact of p53 in the ability of HAG to induce inflammatory cell apoptosis and suppress mouse colitis in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we asked whether HAG could cause cell cycle arrest of HCT116 colon cancer cells in vitro. Interestingly, HAG caused a G1 arrest of such cells independent of p53 status. Findings are significant because HAG suppresses colitis and associated colon cancer, and mutation in p53 is observed in most colitis-driven colon cancers. Therefore, HAG might be very effective in targeting the inflammatory cells and cancer cells since it induces apoptosis of inflammatory cells and cell cycle arrest in both p53^−/− and WT p53 colon cancer cells.