Hexane Extract of Garcinia quaesita Fruits Induces Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Stem Cells Isolated from Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231

Phytochemical study of Magonia pubescens A. St.-Hil. and cytotoxicity of branches aqueous extract on breast cancer and leukemia cells

Magonia pubescens is a natural species from the Brazilian cerrado biome. Its fruits and seeds are used in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis, a common inflammatory skin disease. In this work, the known compounds lapachol, stigmasterol, maniladiol and scopoletin were isolated from hexane and dichloromethane extracts of M. pubescens branches. The aqueous extract of this material was fractioned through a liquid-liquid partition and the obtained fractions were analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS. The results obtained were compared with data from three databases, leading to the putative identification of 51 compounds from different classes, including flavonoids, saponins and triterpenes. The cytotoxicity of aqueous fractions was assayed against breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and leukemia (THP-1 and K562) cells. The best activity was observed for fraction AE3 against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 30.72 µg.mL-1).

In silico identification and in vitro validation of alpha-hederin as a potent inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in breast cancer stem cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in metastasis, recurrence and chemoresistance in breast cancer. β-catenin, which is a frequently over activated protein in CSCs, binds to T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (Tcf/Lef) family transcription factors leading to ectopic expression of Wnt pathway responsive genes necessary for the maintenance and action of CSCs. With the aim of identifying a small molecules that can effectively eliminate CSCs, molecular docking studies were performed against the Tcf/Lef binding hotspot on β-catenin using a library of 100 natural or synthetic small molecules. Small molecule ligands giving docking energy better than - 7 kcal/mol were further investigated by binding interactions analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These compounds were then investigated in vitro, for cytotoxicity against CSCs isolated from MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer cells. Alpha-hederin (AH) was identified as the only compound in the selected library that has cytotoxicity against breast CSCs. AH was further investigated for it's ability to regulate Wnt pathway target genes (Cyclin D1 and CD44)and the tumor suppressor p53by real-time quantitative PCR. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity properties of the AH was predicted in silico. AH significantly down regulated the transcription of Cyclin D1 and CD44 while up-regulating the transcription of p53. AH was predicted to have acceptable drug likeness. Although AH is currently known to inhibit the growth of various cancer cells in vitro, present study demonstrated for the first time that it is a potent inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and induce apoptosis in breast CSCs.

Therapy-resistant breast cancer in focus: Clinically relevant mitigation by flavonoids targeting cancer stem cells

Significant limitations of the reactive medical approach in breast cancer management are clearly reflected by alarming statistics recorded worldwide. According to the WHO updates, breast malignancies become the leading cancer type. Further, the portion of premenopausal breast cancer cases is permanently increasing and demonstrates particularly aggressive patterns and poor outcomes exemplified by young patients with triple-negative breast cancer that lacks targeted therapy. Accumulating studies suggest the crucial role of stem cells in tumour biology, high metastatic activity, and therapy resistance of aggressive breast cancer. Therefore, targeting breast cancer stem cells is a promising treatment approach in secondary and tertiary breast cancer care. To this end, naturally occurring substances demonstrate high potential to target cancer stem cells which, however, require in-depth analysis to identify effective anti-cancer agents for cost-effective breast cancer management. The current article highlights the properties of flavonoids particularly relevant for targeting breast cancer stem cells to mitigate therapy resistance. The proposed approach is conformed with the principles of 3P medicine by applying predictive diagnostics, patient stratification and treatments tailored to the individualised patient profile. Expected impacts are very high, namely, to overcome limitations of reactive medical services improving individual outcomes and the healthcare economy in breast cancer management. Relevant clinical applications are exemplified in the paper.

Role of Medicinal plant-derived Nutraceuticals as a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, accounting for many cancer-related deaths. Over some years, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, radiation, and surgeries have been used to treat cancer. Unfortunately, these treatment options are unsuccessful due to crucial adverse reactions and multidrug tolerance/resistance. Although it is clear that substances in the nutraceuticals category have a lot of anti-cancer activity, using a supplementary therapy strategy, in this case, could be very beneficial. Nutraceuticals are therapeutic agents, which are nutrients that have drug-like characteristics and can be used to treat diseases. Plant nutraceuticals categorized into polyphenols, terpenoids, vitamins, alkaloids, and flavonoids are part of health food products, that have great potential for combating BC. Nutraceuticals can reduce BC's severity, limit malignant cell growth, and modify cancer-related mechanisms. Nutraceuticals acting by attenuating Hedgehog, Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), Notch, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling are the main pathways in controlling the self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). This article reviews some important nutraceuticals and their modes of action, which can be very powerful versus BC. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Nutraceuticals' importance to the control and diagnosis of breast cancer is undeniable and cannot be overlooked. Natural dietary compounds have a wide range of uses and have been used in traditional medicine. In addition, these natural chemicals can enhance the effectiveness of other traditional medicines. They may also be used as a treatment process independently because of their capacity to affect several cancer pathways. This study highlights a variety of natural chemicals, and their mechanisms of action, routes, synergistic effects, and future potentials are all examined.

A Review of Herbal Medicine-Based Phytochemical of Garcinia as Molecular Therapy for Breast Cancer

Data from globocan statistic in 2020 indicate that breast cancer has become highest incidence rate of cancer. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are known immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers that mediate cell growth and survival signaling. Furthermore, regulator proteins, receptors, and their downstream signaling pathways have emerged as critical components in breast cancer formation and proliferation, and have become well-established therapeutic targets and the core focus of breast cancer therapy research. Garcinia is a big genus in the Clusiaceae family that contains a wide spectrum of biologically active metabolites for the chemical composition of their isolated fruits, stem barks, seeds, leaves, and roots, have resulted including polyisoprenylated benzophenones, polyphenols, bioflavonoids, xanthones, lactones, and triterpenes. This review article aimed to analyze the potential of Garcinia phytochemicals as a molecular therapy of breast cancer. The results showed that phytochemicals of Garcinia (i.e., α-mangostin, Cambogin, Gambogic Acid [GA], Garcinol, Griffipavixanthone, Friedolanostane triterpenoid, Hexane, Neobractatin, 7-Epiclusianone, xanthochymol - guttiferone E, and isoxanthochymol - cycloxanthochymol) have anticancer properties, including apoptosis, inhibition of proliferation, and metastasis. This review is important to provide information regarding phytochemicals of Garcinia as an alternative treatment for breast cancer patients. This article selected 28 article researches based on inclusion criteria with the keyword “Garcinia” and “Breast cancer”, in English, and available in full text and abstract searching on PubMed.

Development of a New Nanocarrier for Dietary Garcinol: Characterization and In Vitro Efficacy Evaluation Using Breast Cancer Stem Cells Grown in Hypoxia

Garcinol (GA), a polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivative, is one of the major phytochemicals found in a number of fruits of Garcinia. This study aimed to develop a new nanodelivery system comprising GA, hyaluronic acid (HA), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to actively target breast cancer stem cells (bCSCs) grown under hypoxic conditions. HA has been reported to show higher affinity for the cluster-determinant 44 receptor (CD44), while PLGA is an FDA-approved biodegradable polymer used in clinical applications. Nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by emulsion solvent diffusion technique using DMAB as the emulsifier. Following preparation, particle size, surface charge, and polydispersity index of NPs were characterized. Antiproliferative effects of NPs were assessed by the WST-1 cell proliferation assay. Apoptotic effects of NPs were evaluated by the caspase-3/7 assay. Effects of prepared NPs on the expression of genes related to hypoxia-inducing factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) and notch ligands (DLL1 and Jagged1) were evaluated using real-time PCR. HA-coated garcinol-loaded NPs (HA-GA-NPs) showed greater antiproliferative effects in bCSCs grown under hypoxia. Moreover, HA-GA-NPs showed an improved cellular uptake via receptor-mediated endocytosis compared to non-HA-coated GA-NPs. Exposure to GA-HA-NPs resulted in a significant downregulation in hypoxia-inducing factors and notch pathway-related genes. Activation of caspase-3/7 confirmed the HA-GA-NPs can induce apoptosis in bCSCs. Overall findings of the study confirm that HA-GA-NPs can be considered as an effective nanodelivery system to target bCSCs grown under the hypoxic microenvironment.