Phytochemicals In Cancer Therapy Research Articles

“Unlocking the potential of phytochemicals in cancer therapy”

“Unlocking the potential of phytochemicals in cancer therapy”

Notch Signaling Suppression by Golden Phytochemicals: Potential for Cancer Therapy.

Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide. Cancer cells are characterized by unregulated cellular processes, including proliferation, progression, and angiogenesis. The occurrence of these processes is due to the dysregulation of various signaling pathways such as NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB), Wnt/beta-catenin, Notch signaling and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinases). Notch signaling pathways cause the progression of various types of malignant tumors. Among the phytochemicals for cancer therapy, several have attracted great interest, including curcumin, genistein, quercetin, silibinin, resveratrol, cucurbitacin and glycyrrhizin. Given the great cellular and molecular heterogeneity within tumors and the high toxicity and side effects of synthetic chemotherapeutics, natural products with pleiotropic effects that simultaneously target numerous signaling pathways appear to be ideal substitutes for cancer therapy. With this in mind, we take a look at the current status, impact and potential of known compounds as golden phytochemicals on key signaling pathways in tumors, focusing on the Notch pathway. This review may be useful for discovering new molecular targets for safe and efficient cancer therapy with natural chemotherapeutics.

Phytosomes: A promising delivery system for anticancer agents by using phytochemicals in cancer therapy.

Plant extracts have been shown to be effective in treating a variety of ailments; however their hydrophilic nature and unique chemical structure have caused significant hurdles due to their low bioavailability. Phytosomes technology is used to improve the absorption of phytoconstituents that are difficult to absorb. Among the leading deaths in the society is malignancy. The aforementioned consumes remained a big issue for modern chemotherapy since it has yet to be treated in an efficient manner. The goal of this study is to outline the most recent research on the potential use of phytosome complexes for cancer therapy, as well as the formulation processes and mechanism of transportation through phytosomes.Nanotechnology has paved the way for cancer therapy by altering key features of medications and their carriers. Novel drug delivery systems are used to transfer antitumor drugs to the particular site via different nanostructures. Among several unique drug delivery systems, phytosomes are a creative way to transfer phytoactive compounds to the site of action, and several phytosomes formulations are now being used in clinical settings. Phytoconstituents' anti-cancer activities are increased by phytosomal formulations.

Phytonutraceuticals in Cancer Prevention and Therapeutics

Background: Urbanization has led to numerous health tribulations globally, and cancer is the most devastating among them. Phytochemicals have been utilized as bioactive compounds/ nutrients prominently as antioxidants and revitalizing agents and found to have notable health benefits. Objectives: The nutritional constituents of plants have intensively been investigated to appraise their healthiness and effectiveness in cancer. Food supplements like nutraceuticals have an important role in health and provide essential molecules required for different metabolic processes, which regulate body functions and protect the body from diseases. Methods: Numerous attempts and substantial studies have been escalated by many researchers. These studies have explained that dietary patterns and restrictions are the most important cardinal stride and determinant of many dreadful diseases like cancer. This review article focuses on the exploration of the clinical significance of phytochemicals in cancer therapy. Results: The phytochemicals from various plant parts having the potential to prevent cancer as well as serve as effective anti-cancer agents have been summarized in terms of their components, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, organosulphur compounds etc., along with the targets on which they act, sources from where they can be obtained, and their screening procedure. Significant interest has been received in nutraceuticals because of nutritional benefits, safety and preventive as well as therapeutic perspectives. Conclusions: Phytonutraceuticals, as current drug delivery for cancer, have been utilized as an option for modern medicines. Ultimately, they ensure health improvement, and this review focuses on an overview of current nutraceuticals and nano-based delivery systems, which may be helpful in focusing on further groundbreaking research plans in the new domain.

Apoptosis and autophagy modulating dietary phytochemicals in cancer therapeutics: Current evidences and future perspectives.

The global incidence of cancer and cancer-related mortality is expected to rise in recent years despite advancements in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. Increasing evidences of decrypting molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression have commanded the tremendous development of synthetic anticancer drugs. With limitations in the current conventional cancer therapeutic approaches, the non-nutritive dietary phytochemicals have emerged as potent modulators of apoptosis and autophagy associated key signaling pathways in various cancer cells. The dynamic regulation of apoptosis and autophagy by phytochemicals in cancer are identified as promising therapeutic candidates with minimal cytotoxicity and enhanced biological activity. Dietary phytochemicals and their synthetic analogs have exhibited potency in the modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in several cancer cells as individuals or in combination with pre-existing FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved anticancer drugs. In the current generation of medical science, developing precision and personalized medicine and their consumption as food supplements will hold high prevalence in cancer therapeutics. Hence understating the impact of dietary phytochemicals on human health and their molecular mechanism will thrive a new horizon in cancer therapeutics. Hence, this review has emphasized the role of apoptotic/autophagy modulating dietary phytochemicals in cancer therapy, their preclinical and clinical applications and the future direction of enhanced nano-formulation for better clinical efficacy.

Development of resveratrol-conjugated gold nanoparticles: interrelationship of increased resveratrol corona on anti-tumor efficacy against breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Background: As part of our continuing quest to enhance the efficacy of bioactive phytochemicals in cancer therapy, we report an innovative green nanotechnology approach toward the use of resveratrol for the production of biocompatible resveratrol-conjugated gold nanoparticles (Res-AuNPs). Our overarching aim is to exploit the inherent pro-apoptotic properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through synergistic anti-tumor characteristics of resveratrol, with the aim of developing a new class of green nanotechnology-based phytochemical-embedded AuNPs for applications in oncology.Method: Resveratrol was used to reduce Au3+ to Au0 for the synthesis of Res-AuNPs at room temperature and gum arabic (GA) was used to further encapsulate the nanoparticulate surface to increase the overall stability of the AuNPs. This comprehensive study involves the synthesis, full characterization and in vitro stability of Res-AuNPs in various biological media for their ultimate applications as anti-cancer agents against human breast (MDAMB-231), pancreatic (PANC-1) and prostate (PC-3) cancers.Results: This strategy to systematically increase the corona of resveratrol on AuNPs, in order to gain insights into the interrelationship of the phytochemical corona on the overall anti-tumor activities of Res-AuNPs, proved successful. The increased resveratrol corona on Res-AuNPs showed superior anti-cancer effects, attributed to an optimal cellular uptake after 24-hour incubation, while GA provided a protein matrix support for enhanced trans-resveratrol loading onto the surface of the AuNPs.Conclusion: The approach described in this study harnesses the benefits of nutraceuticals and nanoparticles toward the development of Res-AuNPs. We provide compelling evidence that the increased corona of resveratrol on AuNPs enhances the bioavailability of resveratrol so that therapeutically active species can be optimally available in vivo for applications in cancer therapy.

Quercetin potentiates the effect of γδ T cells via modulating the expressions of Granzyme B, perforin and IFN-γ and also regulates the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway in human colon cancer cells

<p>Cancer accounts as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Recent studies focus on the efficiency of phytochemicals in cancer therapy. Influence of quercetin, a flavonoid on the effect of γδ T cells and Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway in human colon cancer cells (HT55 and HCT116) was investigated. Quercetin at 15-120 µM was observed to markedly reduce the viability of HT55 and HCT116 cells. Quercetin exposure significantly increased γδ T cell proliferation and also raised the expressions of granzyme B (Gra B), perforin (PFP), and interferon- γ (IFN-γ) in γδ T cells. Reduced β-catenin expression with increased expressions of phosphorylated- β-catenin, axin1 and 2 were observed in HT55 and HCT116 cells on exposure to quercetin. However β-actin expression was found to be not much altered. The results suggest that quercetin was able to efficiently potentiate the effect of γδ T cells and modulate Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.</p><p> </p>

Combination of phytochemicals as adjuvants for cancer therapy.

Newer treatments of advanced human cancer are based on combination of cancer drugs that have different mechanism of actions yet the combination strategy may potentiate the anti-cancer effects and cytotoxicity. Recent studies suggest that cancer growth can be inhibited more effectively by combination of phytochemicals that affect different pathways. The apoptotic activity can be modulated by intrinsic and extrinsic molecules. The combination of anti-tumor phytochemicals can be more effective in modulating different signaling pathways associated with tumor cell growth which is the common target for anti-tumor action. Combinations of cytotoxic anti-tumor agents and inhibitors from phytochemicals are believed to act together producing inhibitory mechanisms on cancer growth. This combination strategy shows promise on cancer therapy. However, the combination of phytochemicals in cancer therapy needs to be further investigated to develop a better treatment strategy. Recent patents on anti-tumor phytochemicals are reviewed in this article.

Cytotoxic activities of phytochemicals from Ferula species

BackgroundFerula species are reputed in folk medicine for the treatment of a variety of disorders. There have been sporadic reports on the chemopreventive and chemosensitizing activities of some terpenoid coumarin derivatives from the genus Ferula. The present study investigated the cytotoxic activity of 11 phytochemicals (conferone, farnesiferol A, acantrifoside E, mogoltadone, diversin, galbanic acid, herniarin, 7-isopentenyloxycoumarin, umbelliprenin, stylosin and tschimgine) from Ferula species together with a newly synthesized prenylated derivative of curcumin (gercumin II).MethodsCytotoxic activity of phytochemicals was evaluated against ovarian carcinoma (CH1), lung cancer (A549) and melanoma (SK-MEL-28) cell lines using MTT assay.Results and conclusionOverall, moderate cytotoxic activity was observed from the tested compounds with IC50 values in the micromolar range. The highest activity against CH1 and A549 lines was from conferone while stylosin and tschimgine were the most potent compounds against SK-MEL-28 line. In conclusion, the findings of the present investigation did not support a potent cytotoxic activity of the tested phytochemicals against CH1, A549 and SK-MEL-28 cell lines. With respect to previous reports, the beneficial impact of these phytochemicals in cancer therapy may be more attributable to their chemopreventive or chemosensitizing activity rather than direct cytotoxic effects.