Eugenol and capsaicin exhibit anti-metastatic activity via modulating TGF-β signaling in gastric carcinoma

An Overview of the Spices Used for the Prevention and Potential Treatment of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third in terms of cancer-related deaths and is the fifth most commonly diagnosed type of cancer. Its risk factors include Helicobacter pylori infection, Epstein-Barr virus infection, the consumption of broiled and charbroiled animal meats, salt-preserved and smoke-enhanced foods, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, exposure to ionizing radiation, and positive family history. The limited effectiveness of conventional therapies and the widespread risk factors of GC encourage the search for new methods of treatment and prevention. In the quest for cheap and commonly available medications, numerous studies focus on herbal medicine, traditional brews, and spices. In this review, we outline the potential use of spices, including turmeric, ginger, garlic, black cumin, chili pepper, saffron, black pepper, rosemary, galangal, coriander, wasabi, cinnamon, oregano, cardamom, fenugreek, caraway, clove, dill, thyme, Piper sarmentosum, basil, as well as the compounds they contain, in the prevention and treatment of GC. We present the potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the effectivity of a given seasoning substance and their impact on GC cells. We discuss their potential effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. For most of the spices discussed, we also outline the unavailability and side effects of their use.

Reactive Oxygen Species and H. pylori Infection: A Comprehensive Review of Their Roles in Gastric Cancer Development

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and makes up a significant component of the global cancer burden. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most influential risk factor for GC, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying it as a Class I carcinogen for GC. H. pylori has been shown to persist in stomach acid for decades, causing damage to the stomach's mucosal lining, altering gastric hormone release patterns, and potentially altering gastric function. Epidemiological studies have shown that eliminating H. pylori reduces metachronous cancer. Evidence shows that various molecular alterations are present in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions associated with an H. pylori infection. However, although H. pylori can cause oxidative stress-induced gastric cancer, with antioxidants potentially being a treatment for GC, the exact mechanism underlying GC etiology is not fully understood. This review provides an overview of recent research exploring the pathophysiology of H. pylori-induced oxidative stress that can cause cancer and the antioxidant supplements that can reduce or even eliminate GC occurrence.

From Natural Sources to Synthetic Derivatives: The Allyl Motif as a Powerful Tool for Fragment-Based Design in Cancer Treatment

Since the beginning of history, natural products have been an abundant source of bioactive molecules for the treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Many allyl derivatives, which have shown anticancer activity both in vitro and in vivo in a large number of cancers, are bioactive molecules found in garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, or mustard. In addition, synthetic products containing allyl fragments have been developed showing potent anticancer properties. Of particular note is the allyl derivative 17-AAG, which has been evaluated in Phase I and Phase II/III clinical trials for the treatment of multiple myeloma, metastatic melanoma, renal cancer, and breast cancer. In this Perspective, we compile extensive literature evidence with descriptions and discussions of the most recent advances in different natural and synthetic allyl derivatives that could generate cancer drug candidates in the near future.

Enhancing Anti-Tumorigenic Efficacy of Eugenol in Human Colon Cancer Cells Using Enzyme-Responsive Nanoparticles

This study is focused on the selective delivery and release of the plant-based anticancer compound eugenol (EUG) in colorectal cancer cells (CRC). EUG is an apoptotic and anti-growth compound in diverse malignant tumors, including CRC. However, EUG's rapid metabolization, excretion, and side effects on normal cells at higher dosages are major limitations of its therapeutic potential. To address this problem, we developed a "smart" enzyme-responsive nanoparticle (eNP) loaded with EUG that exposes tumors to a high level of the drug while keeping its concentration low among healthy cells. We demonstrated that EUG induces apoptosis in CRC cells irrespective of their grades in a dose- and time-dependent manner. EUG significantly decreases cancer cell migration, invasion, and the population of colon cancer stem cells, which are key players in tumor metastasis and drug resistance. The "smart" eNPs-EUG show a high affinity to cancer cells with rapid internalization with no affinity toward normal colon epithelial cells. NPs-EUG enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of EUG measured by a cell viability assay and showed no toxicity effect on normal cells. The development of eNPs-EUG is a promising strategy for innovative anti-metastatic therapeutics.

Effect of acetone fraction of Ottelia alismoides on the G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the human carcinoma cell lines

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The North-eastern parts of India have immense therapeutic floras, Ottelia alismoides is an aquatic plant that has been in use for a long time in traditional medicine for treating diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, febrifuge, hemorrhoids, and rubefacient. In lung and skin carcinoma cells with a high rate of proliferation and metastasis including drug resistance and non-specific target activity, generates important challenges towards their treatment strategy. Thus, finding novel therapeutic targets to treat lung and skin cancer progression is essential to enhance the patients' survival with treatment.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the apoptotic potential of acetone extract of O. alismoides (L.) Pers. (OA-AC) and to identify the compounds responsible for this effect, HRLC-MS-QTOF analysis of the extract has been undertaken along with in-silico molecular docking analysis of the identified compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A549 and A431 cells were treated with acetone extract of O. alismoides (OA-AC) at 24 h and 48 h exposure and cell cycle phase distribution was evaluated and also apoptosis induction activity was evaluated by OA-EtBr staining and Mitochondrial outer membrane potential assay. Western blotting was performed for the evaluation of apoptotic protein expression. At last, the HR-LCMS of OA-AC was analyzed to identify the compounds responsible for the apoptotic activity of the extract.

RESULTS

The cell cycle phase distribution analysis in A549 and A431 cells at 24hrs exposure with 10 μg/mL and 25 μg/mL of OA-AC showed a potent arrest or blockage at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle with reduced expression of cyclin B and p-Cdc2. At 48 h exposure, apoptosis was observed in these cancer cells with elevated expression of Bax, p21 and cleaved caspase 3 and reduced expression of the Bcl2.

CONCLUSION

AO-EtBr staining of these cancer cells reveals that the death induced by OA-AC was apoptotic in nature with depolarization of mitochondrial membrane due to loss or damage of the mitochondrial membrane. The HRLC-MS-QTOF analysis of OA-AC depicted 14 major isolable compounds and molecular docking analysis displayed 4 compounds that might act as an inhibitor of cyclin B for G2/M phase arrest that leads to apoptotic induction in the cells.

A comprehensive and systematic review on potential anticancer activities of eugenol: From pre-clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms of action

BACKGROUND

Eugenol (1-allyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzene) is an important simple phenolic compound mainly derived from Syzygium aromaticum and many other plants. It is traditionally used in ayurveda and aromatherapy for the healing of many health problems. It also has significant applications in dentistry, agriculture, and flavour industry. This simple phenol has an eclectic range of pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. It is regarded as safe by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations due to its non-carcinogenic and non-mutagenic properties.

PURPOSE

The aim of this comprehensive review is to present a critical and systematic assessment of the antitumor ability of eugenol and its associated molecular targets in various cancers.

METHODS

It was carried out following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the SYstematic review centre for laboratory animal experimentation guidelines. The literature search was performed in standard databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science using the keywords 'eugenol' or 'eugenol essential oil' and 'anti-cancer properties of eugenol'.

RESULTS

The scientific information from fifty-three studies was encompassed in the present review work. Eugenol exhibits significant anticancer effects in a variety of biological pathways, namely apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle progression, inflammation, invasion, and metastasis. Eugenol-induced apoptosis has been noticed in osteosarcoma, skin tumors, melanoma, leukemia, gastric and mast cells. It decreases the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin B, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, nuclear factor-ƙB, inhibitor of nuclear factor ƙB, and B-cell lymphoma-2. Eugenol increases the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) associated X, BH3-interacting domain death agonist, BCL-2 associated agonist of cell death, apoptotic protease activating factor 1, cytochrome c, p21, and p53.

CONCLUSION

The anticancer potential exhibited by eugenol is mainly attributed to its anti-metastatic, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, cell cycle arrest, apoptotic, and autophagic effects. Hence, the use of eugenol alone or along with other chemotherapeutic anticancer agents is found to be very effective in cancer therapy.

Capsaicin inhibits the migration, invasion and EMT of renal cancer cells by inducing AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy

Capsaicin (CAP), extracted from Capsicum fruits, has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects in various lines of cancer cells. However, the mechanism underlying its antitumor efficiency is not fully understood. Autophagy is a fundamental self-degradation process of cells that maintains homeostasis and plays a controversial role in tumor initiation and progression. The EMT is defined as a system regulating cells transformed from an epithelial-like phenotype into a mesenchymal phenotype by several internal and external factors, following the metastatic performance of the cells developed. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of autophagy in CAP-induced antitumor effects in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) 786-O and CAKI-1 cell lines. The results revealed that CAP remarkably inhibited the migration and invasion of RCC cells in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Moreover, we found that the CAP treatment increased the formation of autophagolysosome vacuoles and LC3 yellow and red fluorescent puncta in RCC cells and upregulated the expression of LC3, suggesting that autophagy was induced by CAP in 786-O and CAKI-1 cell lines. Our further results demonstrated that CAP-induced autophagy was mediated by the AMPK/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, our study provides new knowledge of the potential relationship between autophagy and metastasis inhibition induced by CAP, which might be a promising therapeutic strategy in RCC.

Capsaicin ameliorates renal fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β1-Smad2/3 signaling

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), characterized by renal fibrosis, is a global refractory disease with few effective therapeutic strategies. It has been reported that capsaicin exerts many pharmacological effects including liver and cardiac fibrosis. However, whether capsaicin plays a therapeutic role in renal fibrosis remains unclear.

METHODS

We investigated antifibrotic effects of capsaicin in two mouse renal fibrosis models as follows: C57BL/6J mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and fed with an adenine-rich diet. We uncovered and verified the mechanisms of capsaicin in human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK2). We mainly used histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining, western blot assay, biochemical examination and other tools to examine the effects of capsaicin on renal fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

Capsaicin treatment significantly alleviated fibronectin and collagen depositions in the tubulointerstitium of the injured kidneys from UUO and adenine-fed mice. Meanwhile, capsaicin treatment obviously reduced α-SMA expression. Moreover, capsaicin treatment dramatically protected against the phenotypic alteration of tubular epithelial cells by increasing E-cadherin expression and decreasing vimentin expression during renal fibrosis. Mechanistically, capsaicin treatment effectively suppressed α-SMA and vimentin expressions but promoted E-cadherin expression in HK2 cells mainly through the inhibition of TGF-β1-Smad2/3 signaling.

CONCLUSION

Capsaicin significantly ameliorated renal fibrosis possibly by retarding the activation of myofibroblasts and protecting against the phenotypic alteration of tubular epithelial cells mainly through the inhibition of TGF-β1-Smad2/3 signaling. Thus, our findings may provide a new insight into the clinical application of capsaicin in renal fibrosis.

Eugenol inhibits the biological activities of an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCC9 via targeting MIF

BACKGROUND

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a rampant cancer type in head and neck cancers with a poor prognosis and a high recurrence rate. Eugenol shows anticancer effect in a variety of cancers, but it has been rarely studied in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the role of Eugenol in OSCC and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

After different concentrations of Eugenol (0, 200, 400 and 800 μM) treatment, the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of OSCC cell line SCC9 was measured by CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing and transwell assays, respectively. TUNEL staining was employed to detect the apoptosis. Western blotting was used to evaluate gene expression at protein level. Molecular docking was used to identify the target of Eugenol.

RESULTS

Eugenol decreased the proliferation, reduced the abilities of invasion and migration along with the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and MMP9 in SCC9 cells. On the contrary, the ratio of apoptotic cells was increased by Eugenol. In addition, Eugenol down-regulated B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression, but up-regulated BCL-2 associated X (Bax), cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) expression. Meanwhile, Eugenol exerted its effect on SCC9 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Eugenol could bind to macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), the expression of which was down-regulated after Eugenol treatment. Besides, overexpression of MIF reversed all the effects of Eugenol on OSCC cells.

CONCLUSION

In summary, Eugenol suppressed the malignant processes of OSCC cells by targeting MIF, which could guide the clinical application of Eugenol in OSCC.

Kaempferol 3-O-gentiobioside, an ALK5 inhibitor, affects the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells via blockade of the TGF-β/ALK5/Smad signaling pathway

Overactivation of TGF-β/ALK5/Smad signaling pathway has been observed in the advanced stage of various human malignancies. As a key component of TGF-β/ALK5/Smad signaling pathway transduction, TGF-β type I receptor (also known as ALK5) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. In this study, to discover a novel ALK5 inhibitor, a commercial natural products library was screened using docking-based virtual screening, followed by luciferase reporter assay. A flavonoid glycoside kaempferol 3-O-gentiobioside (KPF 3-O-G) was identified as a potent ALK5 inhibitor through directly bound to the ATP-site of ALK5, resulting in the inhibitory effects on phosphorylation and translocation of Smad2 and expression of Smad4. Additionally, we found that KPF 3-O-G reduced cell proliferation and inhibited TGF-β-induced cell migration and invasion. Moreover, western blotting and immunofluorescent analysis showed that KPF 3-O-G significantly reversed the TGF-β-induced EMT biomarkers, including upregulation of E-cadherin and downregulation of N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail. In vivo study showed that KPF 3-O-G administration reduced tumor growth in human ovarian cancer xenograft mouse model, without obvious toxic effect. This study provided novel insight into the anticancer effects of KPF-3-O-G and indicated that KPF-3-O-G might be developed as potential therapeutics for cancer treatment after further validation.

Trefoil Factor 1 Suppresses Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through Inhibition of TGF-beta Signaling in Gastric Cancer Cells

Gastric cancer is a malignancy with high incidence and mortality worldwide. In gastric cancer, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis further increase the mortality rate. Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) has been reported as a protective factor in the gastric mucosa. In this study, TFF1 inhibited the migration and invasive capability of gastric cancer cells. Elevated TFF1 levels induced the expression of E-cadherin, the epithelial marker, and reduced the expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, Snail, Twist, Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox (ZEB) 1 and ZEB2, well-known repressors of E-cadherin expression. In addition, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-7 and MMP-9, which are major markers of cancer metastasis, was suppressed by TFF1. Upregulation of TFF1 inhibited TGF-β, a major signaling for EMT induction, and the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 activated by TGF-β in AGS cells. In conclusion, TFF1 inhibits EMT through suppression of TGF-β signaling in AGS cells, which might be used in therapeutic strategies for reducing metastatic potential and invasiveness of these cells.