Abstract
Background: Phytochemicals are natural compounds synthesized as secondary metabolites in plants and represent an important source of molecules with therapeutic applications. Attention is accorded to their potential in anti-cancer therapies as single agents or adjuvant treatment. Herby, we evaluated the in vitro effects of a panel of natural compounds with focus on caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and Kaempferol for the treatment of human colon cancer.
Methods: We exposed two human colon cancer cell lines, RKO and HCT-116, followed by functional examination of cell viability, cell proliferation and invasion, cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy. Modifications in gene expression were investigated through microarray and detection of existing mutations and finding of new ones was done with the help of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).
Results: Both CAPE and Kaempferol inhibit cell proliferation, motility and invasion, and stimulate apoptosis and autophagy, concomitant with modifications in coding and noncoding genes’ expression. Moreover, there are pathogenic mutations that are no longer found upon treatment with CAPE and Kaempferol.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that CAPE and Kaempferol have the ability to negatively influence the development and advancement of colon cancer in vitro by specifically altering the cells at the molecular level; this activity can be exploited in possible adjuvant therapies once the optimal dose concentration with minimal side effects but with cancer inhibitory activity is set in vivo.
Reference
Budisan L, Gulei D, Jurj A, Braicu C, Zanoaga O, Cojocneanu R, Pop L, Raduly L, Barbat A, Moldovan A, Moldovan C, Tigu AB, Ionescu C, Atanasov AG, Irimie A, Berindan-Neagoe I. Inhibitory Effect of CAPE and Kaempferol in Colon Cancer Cell Lines-Possible Implications in New Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Mar 9;20(5). pii: E1199. doi: 10.3390/ijms20051199. PubMed PMID: 30857282; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6429399.
Keywords: inhibitory effects of CAPE and kaempferol, colon cancer, cell lines, implications in therapeutic strategies, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), phytochemicals, morin, natural compounds, polyphenols.
Join for free INPST as a member
The International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST) maintains up-to-date lists with conferences, grants and funding opportunities, jobs and open positions, and journal special issues with relevance for the area of phytochemistry and food chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacognosy research, and natural product science.