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Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism
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Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 6436

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Agata Poniewierska-Baran

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
Interests: cancer; metabolism; metastasis; natural origin substances; immunotherapy
Dr. Maciej Tarnowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiology in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Interests: cancer metastasis; pathophysiology; molecular biology; gene polymorphism; epigenetic drugs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It's known that the length and quality of human life depends on a proper diet, rich in substances of natural origin. A responsible lifestyle, including diet, can prevent 30-50% of cancer deaths- the second leading cause of death in the world. Currently knowledge about the benefits of consuming substances from natural product, i.e. presented in vegetables, fruits, spices or herbs increases the chance of conscious diet in the broadly understood aspect of cancer prevention. Medical research shows that some of the ingredients contained in vegetable and herbal plants, apart from their nutritional value, are of great prophylactic importance in many diseases, including the ‘diseases of civilization’, like atherosclerosis and neoplastic diseases. They have been referred in medicine as chemo-preventers, due to the fact that they can interact with molecular targets and regulate cell signaling pathways, thereby preventing or delaying the development of cancer. Significant protective effect in terms of formation and tumor development are mainly attributed to carotenoids, glucosinolates and their degradation products (isothiocyanates), organic sulfur compounds, flavonoids (β-carotene and lycopen) as well as vitamins and some chemical elements. Epidemiological studies have shown a significant relationship between a diet rich in substances of natural origin and a low incidence of cancer. Natural products constitute an extensive group of bioactive compounds with therapeutic and anti-cancer potential and the advent of molecularly targeted therapies has changed the vision of cancer treatment. We are looking for articles that promotes conceptual and technological advances in natural anti-cancer product research.

This Special Issue of Molecules is based on advancements in nature product-related cancer research and systematic approaches, new pharmacological models (in vitro and in vivo), and natural products search in cancer therapy. We encourage you to send original research, short communication and review articles concerning medicinal plants, novel molecular leads for anticancer agents, new challenges in the identification, isolation and extraction of natural anticancer agents and provide new knowledge about natural sources and their possible anticancer effects. Specification of biotechnology techniques in the modification and production of secondary metabolites from natural anti-cancer products are also welcome.

Dr. Agata Poniewierska-Baran
Dr. Maciej Tarnowski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anticancer activities
  • therapeutic potential of plants
  • phytochemicals
  • natural products
  • apoptosis
  • metastasis
  • angiogenesis
  • molecular mechanisms

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2913 KiB  
Article
The Distinct Biological Effects of 6-Hydroxy-L-Nicotine in Representative Cancer Cell Lines
by Paula Alexandra Postu, Razvan Stefan Boiangiu, Marius Mihasan, Alexandru Bogdan Stache, Adrian Tiron and Lucian Hritcu
Molecules 2024, 29(23), 5593; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235593 (registering DOI) - 26 Nov 2024
Viewed by 169
Abstract
6-hydroxy-L-nicotine (6HLN) is a nicotine (NIC) derivative with proven therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative disorders. Here, the impact of 6HLN on cell growth, migratory behavior, and inflammatory status of three different cancer cell lines (A549, MCF7, and U87) and two normal cell lines (16HBE14o [...] Read more.
6-hydroxy-L-nicotine (6HLN) is a nicotine (NIC) derivative with proven therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative disorders. Here, the impact of 6HLN on cell growth, migratory behavior, and inflammatory status of three different cancer cell lines (A549, MCF7, and U87) and two normal cell lines (16HBE14o and MCF10A) was investigated. In silico analyses were conducted to evaluate the binding affinity of 6HLN to nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) containing α9 and α5 subunits. The obtained in silico data revealed that 6HLN might act on the cholinergic system. Interestingly, the in vitro data showed the compound has cancer-stimulatory effects in U87 glioblastoma cells and cancer-inhibitory effects in MCF7 breast cancer cells. In A549 lung cancer cells, no changes were detected upon 6HLN administration. More importantly, 6HLN appears not to be deleterious for normal cells, with the viability of 16HBE14o pulmonary cells and MCF10A mammary cells remaining unchanged. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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13 pages, 1409 KiB  
Article
Chemical Characterization of Pruning Wood Extracts from Six Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) Cultivars and Their Antitumor Activity
by Juan Ortega-Vidal, Nuria Mut-Salud, José M. de la Torre, Joaquín Altarejos and Sofía Salido
Molecules 2024, 29(16), 3887; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163887 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 773
Abstract
The Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is mainly cultivated in temperate areas of China and some European countries. Certain amounts of wood (from pruning works) are generated every year from this crop of worldwide commercial significance. The main objective of this [...] Read more.
The Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is mainly cultivated in temperate areas of China and some European countries. Certain amounts of wood (from pruning works) are generated every year from this crop of worldwide commercial significance. The main objective of this work was to value this agricultural woody residue, for which the chemical composition of pruning wood extracts from six Japanese plum cultivars was investigated, and the antiproliferative activity of extracts and pure phenolics present in those extracts was measured. For the chemical characterization, total phenolic content and DPPH radical-scavenging assays and HPLC‒DAD/ESI‒MS analyses were performed, with the procyanidin (−)-ent-epicatechin-(2α→O→7,4α→8)-epicatechin (5) and the propelargonidin (+)-epiafzelechin-(2β→O→7,4β→8)-epicatechin (7) being the major components of the wood extracts. Some quantitative differences were found among plum cultivars, and the content of proanthocyanidins ranged from 1.50 (cv. ‘Fortune’) to 4.44 (cv. ‘Showtime’) mg/g of dry wood. Regarding the antitumoral activity, eight wood extracts and four phenolic compounds were evaluated in MCF-7 cells after 48 h of induction, showing the wood extract from cv. ‘Songold’ and (‒)-annphenone (3), the best antiproliferative activity (IC50: 424 μg/mL and 405 μg/mL, respectively). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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15 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of the Inhibitory Effects of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol on NCI-H1299 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
by Zhongyi Cong, Xinmin Zhang, Zeqi Lv, Jingyuan Jiang, Lei Wang, Jiapeng Li, Jie Wang and Jianjun Zhao
Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5746; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155746 - 29 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1631
Abstract
Lung cancer seriously threatens human health. To explore the molecular mechanism of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) on human non-small cell lung cancer cells, we investigated the transcriptional profile of PPD-treated NCI-H1299 cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 and [...] Read more.
Lung cancer seriously threatens human health. To explore the molecular mechanism of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) on human non-small cell lung cancer cells, we investigated the transcriptional profile of PPD-treated NCI-H1299 cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PPD-treated and untreated cells were determined using RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Protein phosphorylation was detected using Western blotting. Data of mRNA expression profiles of lung cancer were from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and analyzed using R software version 4.3.1. PPD showed an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of NCI-H1299 cells and induced apoptosis. There were 938 upregulated genes and 466 downregulated genes in PPD-treated cells, and DEGs were primarily enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. The detection of phosphorylation revealed that the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 MAPK was significantly reduced in PPD-treated cells. Further comparison of PPD-regulated DEGs with clinical data of lung adenocarcinoma demonstrated that most downregulated genes in tumor tissues were upregulated in PPD-treated cells or vice versa. Two PPD-downregulated genes HSPA2 and EFNA2 were associated with patients’ overall survival. Therefore, PPD could inhibit NCI-H1299 cells by affecting gene expression and regulating ERK and p38 MAPK pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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15 pages, 2871 KiB  
Article
Garcinol and Anacardic Acid, Natural Inhibitors of Histone Acetyltransferases, Inhibit Rhabdomyosarcoma Growth and Proliferation
by Patrycja Tomasiak, Joanna Janisiak, Dorota Rogińska, Magdalena Perużyńska, Bogusław Machaliński and Maciej Tarnowski
Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5292; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145292 - 8 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1598
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumour of the soft tissues. There are two main histopathological types: alveolar and embryonal. RMS occurs mainly in childhood and is a result of the deregulation of growth and differentiation of muscle cell precursors. There is an increasing [...] Read more.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant tumour of the soft tissues. There are two main histopathological types: alveolar and embryonal. RMS occurs mainly in childhood and is a result of the deregulation of growth and differentiation of muscle cell precursors. There is an increasing amount of data indicating that numerous epigenetic alterations within chromatin and histone proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of this malignancy. Histone acetylation is one of the most important epigenetic modifications that is catalysed by enzymes from the group of histone acetyltransferases (HAT). In this study, the impact of the natural histone acetyltransferase inhibitors (HATi)—garcinol (GAR) and anacardic acid (AA)—on the biology of RMS cells was evaluated through a series of in vitro tests measuring proliferation, viability, clonogenicity, cell cycle and apoptosis. Moreover, using oligonucleotide microarrays and real-time PCR, we identified several genes whose expression changed after GAR and AA treatment. The examined HATi significantly reduce the invasive phenotype of RMS cells by inhibiting the growth rate, viability and clonogenic abilities. What is more, these substances cause cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, induce apoptosis and affect the genetic expression of the endoplasmic reticulum stress sensors. GAR and AA may serve as promising potential anti-cancer drugs since they sensitize the RMS cells to chemotherapeutic treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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Review

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21 pages, 3671 KiB  
Review
Cytotoxic Effects of Plant Secondary Metabolites and Naturally Occurring Bioactive Peptides on Breast Cancer Model Systems: Molecular Mechanisms
by Diana Zasheva, Petko Mladenov, Silvina Zapryanova, Zlatina Gospodinova, Mariyana Georgieva, Irina Alexandar, Valentin Velinov, Dimitar Djilianov, Daniela Moyankova and Lyudmila Simova-Stoilova
Molecules 2024, 29(22), 5275; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29225275 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 535
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women, and the number of mortal cases in diagnosed patients is constantly increasing. The search for new plant compounds with antitumor effects is very important because of the side effects of conventional therapy [...] Read more.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women, and the number of mortal cases in diagnosed patients is constantly increasing. The search for new plant compounds with antitumor effects is very important because of the side effects of conventional therapy and the development of drug resistance in cancer cells. The use of plant substances in medicine has been well known for centuries, but the exact mechanism of their action is far from being elucidated. The molecular mechanisms of cytotoxicity exerted by secondary metabolites and bioactive peptides of plant origin on breast cancer cell lines are the subject of this review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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15 pages, 1445 KiB  
Review
Immunomodulatory Effects of Green Tea Catechins and Their Ring Fission Metabolites in a Tumor Microenvironment Perspective
by Emmanuele D. S. Andrade, Ronimara A. Santos, Landi V. C. Guillermo, Noriyuki Miyoshi and Danielly C. Ferraz da Costa
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4575; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194575 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Green tea is the second most consumed beverage following water, and the health benefits provided by its consumption have been well established from research in recent decades. The main bioactive compounds found in all Camellia sinensis-based teas are catechins, which have been [...] Read more.
Green tea is the second most consumed beverage following water, and the health benefits provided by its consumption have been well established from research in recent decades. The main bioactive compounds found in all Camellia sinensis-based teas are catechins, which have been reported to have antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Although most of the health benefits are well established, studies show that the intact catechins as found in tea are poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. These compounds are degraded and undergo ring fission by the gut microbiota, increasing their absorption. In this review, we gather knowledge of the health benefits of green tea catechins and their metabolites, with a particular emphasis on the immunomodulatory effects in a cancer microenvironment scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Natural Products in the Cancer Therapy Mechanism)
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