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Mikania micrantha Kunth (Asteraceae) is a plant traditionally used to reduce the risk of hyperlipidemia and hypertension. There is limited information on the anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hypertensive effects of the various M. micrantha leaves and stem extracts. This study aimed to examine the in vitro potential of different parts of M. micrantha (leaves and stem) extracts in inhibiting hyperlipidemia-related enzymes, i.e., pancreatic lipase (PL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (HMGR), in addition to the hypertension-related, i.e., angiotensin- I converting enzyme (ACE). This study spectrophotometrically determined the inhibitory activities of hot water, cold water, 70% ethanol, and ethyl acetate M. micrantha leaves and stem extracts against the above-said enzymes using PL, LPL, HMGR, and ACE inhibition assays. The study found that the ethanol stem (ETS) extract exhibited the highest PL inhibitory activity (IC50=4.49±2.50 μg/mL), albeit the difference was insignificant (p > 0.05) compared to orlistat (IC50=0.31±0.01 μg/mL). Meanwhile, the ethanol leaves (ETL) extract yielded the highest LPL (IC50=1.42±0.48 μg/mL) and HMGR inhibitory activity (50.12±3.44%), although the greatest ACE inhibition was observed for the hot water stem (HWS) extract (97.47±1.19%). However, the result was insignificant (p > 0.05) compared to other extracts and captopril (98.42±0.93%). In brief, the extracts generally exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against PL, LPL, HMGR, and ACE, thus conveying the M. micrantha extracts' anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hypertensive potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixtures of selected functional foods (MSFF) were composed of nattokinase (fermented soybean), red yeast rice extract, Ginkgo biloba, oat fiber, garlic, bee pollen, and propolis as anti‐hypercholesterolemic were studied. The goal of this study was to determine the bioactive compounds in these mixtures and their cholesterol‐lowering potential effects (biochemical profiles, lipid peroxidation, liver tissue histopathology, and enzymatic activity analysis; HMGCoA reductase and ACAT2. The LC‐MS/MS analysis showed that bioactive compounds such as Monacolin K, naringin, tocopherol, and glutamate, which have potential as anti‐hypercholesterolemic agents, were present in these functional food mixtures. MSFF supplementation at 50 mg/kg 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg showed substantial reductions in serum lipid profiles (TC and LDL) (p <.05). The serum liver profiles of AST (115.33 ± 8.69 U/L) and ALT (61.00 ± 1.00 U/L) were significantly reduced (p <.05) with MSFF supplementation at 200 mg/kg. MDA lipid peroxidation has also decreased significantly (p <.05) in serum (3.69 ± 0.42 μmol/L) and liver (15.04 ± 0.97 μmol/mg) tissues and has been shown to protect against hepatic steatosis. The significant (p <.05) inhibition activity of HMGCoA reductase (163.82 ± 3.50 pg/ml) and ACAT2 (348.35 ± 18.85 pg/ml) was also attributed by the supplementation of MSFF at 200 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C. gynandra provides medicinal benefits due to nutritional properties. This study aimed to determine the effect of fermentation on antioxidant properties and mineral contents of C. gynandra. The findings showed that fresh C. gynandra had the highest total phenolic content (60.44±3.14 mg GAE/g extract), followed by commercial fermented (49.48±1.88 mg GAE/g) and self-fermented (7.89±0.83 mg GAE/g). Fresh C. gynandra also showed the highest scavenging activity (66.01±1.14%) compared to both fermented samples. The fresh sample had the highest minerals content except sodium. Fermentation might reduce the antioxidants and minerals in C. gynandra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are the main regulators of cellular proliferation, growth, and survival in physiological or pathological conditions. Aberrant MAPK signaling plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis, which leads to development and progression of human cancer. Dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), a member of the MAPK phosphatase family, interacts with specifically targeted extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 via negative feedback regulation in the MAPK pathway of mammalian cells. This phosphatase functions in a dual manner, pro-oncogenic or tumor-suppressive, depending on the type of cancer. To date, the tumor-suppressive role of DUSP6 has been demonstrated in pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal squamous cell and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. Its pro-oncogenic role has been observed in human glioblastoma, thyroid carcinoma, breast cancer, and acute myeloid carcinoma. Both roles of DUSP6 have been documented in malignant melanoma depending on the histological subtype of the cancer. Loss- or gain-of-function effects of DUSP6 in these cancers highlights the significance of this phosphatase in carcinogenesis. Development of methods that use the DUSP6 gene as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment or as a prognostic factor for diagnosis and evaluation of cancer treatment outcome has great potential. This review focuses on molecular characteristics of the DUSP6 gene and its role in cancers in the purview of development, progression, and cancer treatment outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytic acid is a natural dietary ingredient and has been described as a "natural cancer fighter", being an essential component of nutritional diets. The marked anti-cancer effect of IP6 has resulted in our quest for an understanding of its mechanism of action. In particular, our data provided strong evidence for the induction of apoptotic cell death, which may be attributable to the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-xl in favor of apoptosis. In addition, the up-regulation of caspase-3 and -8 expression and activation of both caspases may also contribute to the apoptotic cell death of human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells when exposed to IP6. Collectively, this present study has shown that rice bran IP6 induces apoptosis, by regulating the pro- and anti-apoptotic markers; Bax and Bcl-xl and via the activation of caspase molecules (caspase-3 and -8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine has recommended drinking green tea for the prevention of disease. In recent years, many scientific and medical studies suggested that green tea possesses anti-proliferative, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and chemopreventive effects. One of the most abundant and bioactive compounds in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has demonstrated its role as the key player in various disease treatment and prevention including in colorectal cancer therapy. The ratio of mortality to incidence of colorectal cancer was reported to be 0.46 according to Malaysia's National Cancer Patient Registry Colorectal Cancer from the year 2008 till 2013. This study reports the anti-proliferative effect of green tea EGCG on a human adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer (HT29) cell line to find out the possible concentrations of EGCG required as reference for further use in molecular analysis, as part of colorectal cancer therapy. Methods: The MTT [3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay was performed for assessing cell proliferation activity and cytotoxicity in HT-29 cells when treated with different EGCG concentrations ranging from 0 - 1000 µM at three different treatment periods; 24, 48 and 72 hours. The source of EGCG was from pure green tea purchased from Sigma (Product No. E4143). Results: The MTT results showed that effective EGCG concentrations to inhibit 50% of HT-29 cell proliferation (IC50) were 262.5 µM, 190.3 µM and 88.1 µM after a 24, 48 and 72 hours treatments, respectively, in dose- and time dependent manners. Conclusion: This study concludes that green tea EGCG does have an anti-proliferative effect on colorectal cancer cells, which may lead to suppression of colon carcinogenesis. The potential anti-proliferative effect of EGCG in colorectal cancer cells should be further examined to understand it's mechanism of actions as an anti-cancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anacardium occidentale or also known as cashew is a popular traditional plant among Malaysian community. The shoots of this plant is commonly consumed raw or blanched as side dishes or 'ulam' during meal times. Aside from shoots, other parts of the plant are also consumed in traditional medicines for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. As cancer is one of the leading cause of death in Malaysia, this study was aimed to determine the antiproliferative effects of cashew shoots in various types of cancer cell lines. Methods: The shoots of cashew was obtained from Taman Botani, Universiti Putra Malaysia and extracted with 70% ethanol. The selected cancer cell lines were breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells, liver cancer (HepG2) cells and colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells. The cells were treated with extracts of cashew shoots for cytotoxicity test using MTT assay. The extracts that demonstrated the IC50 value below 100 µg/ml were selected for further determination of apoptosis response using AO/PI dual fluorescent assay and cell cycle progression using flow cytometry. Results: The results showed that cashew shoot extract had IC50 of 81.1 µg/ml, 307.5 µg/ml and 272.6 µg/ml against MDAMB- 231, HepG2 and HT-29 cells, respectively. The results of AO/PI staining showed typical signs of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and cell blebbing were markedly induced in treated- MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with cashew shoots extracts after 24, 48 and 72 hours in time-dependent manner. The results from cell cycle analysis showed significant increase in subG0 phase indicating apoptosis and significant decrease in G0/G1 phase in a dosedependent manner. Conclusion: Cashew shoots extracts showed cytotoxicity towards selected cancer cells and have the potential to be studied further to understand underlying mechanism of the cashew extracts in cancer cell lines and possibility to be developed as nutraceutical or functional food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional or dietary factors have drawn attention due to their potential as an effective chemopreventive agent, which is considered a more rational strategy in cancer treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of IP¿ extracted from rice bran on azoxymethane- (AOM-) induced colorectal cancer (CRC) in rats. Initially, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, with 6 rats in each group. The rats received two intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of AOM in saline (15 mg/kg body weight) over a 2-week period to induce CRC. IP¿ was given in three concentrations, 0.2% (w/v), 0.5% (w/v), and 1.0% (w/v), via drinking water for 16 weeks. The deregulation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 have been implicated in colorectal tumorigenesis. ß-Catenin and COX-2 expressions were analysed using the quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Herein, we reported that the administration of IP¿ markedly suppressed the incidence of tumors when compared to the control. Interestingly, the administration of IP¿ had also markedly decreased ß-catenin and COX-2 in colon tumors. Thus, the downregulation of ß-catenin and COX-2 could play a role in inhibiting the CRC development induced by IP¿ and thereby act as a potent anticancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicin (N-vanillyl-8-methyl-6-(E)-none amide) is a unique and significant compound from group component of capsaicinoids. This component can only be found in the plants from the Capsicum genus. It is the primary source of pungency or spiciness of chilli pepper. Traditionally, capsaicin has been used to alleviate pain. Recently, some studies showed significant therapeutic effects of capsaicin in many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and obesity. Determination of the most effective dosage used and underlying working mechanism of capsaicin are still in progress. Currently, capsaicin research, especially in drug interaction and encapsulation technologies, has not been reviewed. We aim to report current experimental evidence of capsaicin research focusing on its pharmacological properties, interaction with drugs and ways to improve the bioavailability of capsaicin. It is essential to provide a general orientation for further investigation that can discover more potency of capsaicin usage as a medicinal supplement to treat various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen or sapodilla is a fruit-bearing tree that has been cultivated mainly in tropical areas including Mexico and South East Asia. The fruits and the other parts of M. zapota plant have been used since ages ago for various medicinal purposes. However, the data on the antioxidant properties of various parts of M. zapota is limited. Therefore, we aimed to measure the content and capacity of antioxidants in various M. zapota plant parts and also to screen the phytoconstituents present in the part with the highest antioxidant content and capacity. Methods: The in vitro antioxidant evaluation including the content of total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC) as well as β-carotene bleaching and 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability of the leaves, seeds, flesh, and peels of M. zapota extracted by aqueous and ethanol were determined. The plant part that exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity was selected for phytoconstituents identification using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: M. zapota leaves aqueous extract exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacities and therefore selected for phytoconstituents identification. Our study provide additional data in which a total of 39 phytoconstituents have been identified in the M. zapota leaves including m-coumaric acid, quinic acid, robinetinidol-4alpha-ol, isoorientin 6"-O-caffeate, apocynin A, and C16 Sphinganine. Conclusion: Thus, our study revealed that M. zapota leaves aqueous extract has potential as a promising naturally-occurring antioxidant candidate which could be useful for medicinal and nutritional functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant bioactive polyphenolic compound among the green tea constituents and has been identified as a potential anticancer agent in colorectal cancer (CRC) studies. This study was aimed to determine the mechanism of actions of EGCG when targeting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway in CRC. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was performed on HT-29 cell line and normal cell line (3T3) to determine the EGCG toxicity. Next, western blot was done to observe the expression of the related proteins for the ER stress pathway. The Caspase 3/7 assay was performed to determine the apoptosis induced by EGCG. The results demonstrated that EGCG treatment was toxic to the HT-29 cell line. EGCG induced ER stress in HT-29 by upregulating immunoglobulin-binding (BiP), PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha subunit (eIF2 α ), activating transcription 4 (ATF4), and inositol-requiring kinase 1 alpha (IRE1 α ). Apoptosis was induced in HT-29 cells after the EGCG treatment, as shown by the Caspase 3/7 activity. This study indicates that green tea EGCG has the potential to inhibit colorectal cancer cells through the induction of ER stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Zarith Nameyrra Md Nesran et al.)

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytic acid is a natural dietary ingredient and has been described as a "natural cancer fighter", being an essential component of nutritional diets. The marked anti-cancer effect of IP6 has resulted in our quest for an understanding of its mechanism of action. In particular, our data provided strong evidence for the induction of apoptotic cell death, which may be attributable to the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-xl in favor of apoptosis. In addition, the up-regulation of caspase-3 and -8 expression and activation of both caspases may also contribute to the apoptotic cell death of human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells when exposed to IP6. Collectively, this present study has shown that rice bran IP6 induces apoptosis, by regulating the pro- and anti-apoptotic markers; Bax and Bcl-xl and via the activation of caspase molecules (caspase-3 and -8).