Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) Larval Extracts Induce Antiproliferative, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Migratory Effects on MCF7 Cells.

Amina Zedan,Mohammed El-Magd,Osama Al-Amer,Omar Bahattab,Mohamed Sakran,Atif Oyouni,Samah Nasr Eldeen,Yousef Hawsawi

doi:10.3390/molecules26113303

Abstract

The use of insects as a feasible and useful natural product resource is a novel and promising option in alternative medicine. Several components from insects and their larvae have been found to inhibit molecular pathways in different stages of cancer. This study aimed to analyze the effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Vespa orientalis larvae on breast cancer MCF7 cells and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that individual treatment with 5% aqueous or alcoholic larval extract inhibited MCF7 proliferation but had no cytotoxic effect on normal Vero cells. The anticancer effect was mediated through (1) induction of apoptosis, as indicated by increased expression of apoptotic genes (Bax, caspase3, and p53) and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl2; (2) suppression of intracellular reactive oxygen species; (3) elevation of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and GPx) and upregulation of the antioxidant regulator Nrf2 and its downstream target HO-1; (4) inhibition of migration as revealed by in vitro wound healing assay and downregulation of the migration-related gene MMP9 and upregulation of the anti-migratory gene TIMP1; and (5) downregulation of inflammation-related genes (NFκB and IL8). The aqueous extract exhibited the best anticancer effect with higher antioxidant activities but lower anti-inflammatory properties than the alcoholic extract. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several flavonoids and phenolic compounds with highest concentrations for resveratrol and naringenin in aqueous extract and rosmarinic acid in alcoholic extract. This is the first report to explain the intracellular pathway by which flavonoids and phenolic compounds-rich extracts of Vespa orientalis larvae could induce MCF7 cell viability loss through the initiation of apoptosis, activation of antioxidants, and inhibition of migration and inflammation. Therefore, these extracts could be used as adjuvants for anticancer drugs and as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Highlights

Despite remarkable advances in chemotherapy, the numerous side effects and nonselective targeting of most of the currently used anticancer drugs restrict their therapeutic potential [1,2]
Bcl2 than the 5% alcoholic extract. These results suggest that the cytotoxic effect of the two effect of on theMCF7 two extracts on MCF7 cells could be triggered byother apoptosis
Further in vitro and in vivo investigations are required to provide more mechanistic details in that regard. Cancer cells maintain their viability via inhibition of apoptosis, initiation of inflammation, and migration

Summary

Introduction

Despite remarkable advances in chemotherapy, the numerous side effects and nonselective targeting of most of the currently used anticancer drugs restrict their therapeutic potential [1,2]. Many bioactive ingredients extracted from insects have demonstrated anticancer effects [8,9,10,11]. Aqueous extracts and hydrolysates of some insects such as house cricket, grasshopper, and silk moth contain some beneficial bioactive peptides that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities [17,18]. In addition to these beneficial medicinal effects, insects are part of the common diet of at least two billion people in the world, as they contain high amounts of proteins and micronutrients [19]

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