The first-line treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, the efficacy of this treatment is sometimes limited owing to chemoresistance as well as treatment-associated intestinal mucositis and other adverse events. Growing evidence suggests that certain phytochemicals have therapeutic and cancer-preventing properties. Further, the synergistic interactions between many such plant-derived products and chemotherapeutic drugs have been linked to improved therapeutic efficacy. Polysaccharides extracted from Albuca bracteata (Thunb.) J.C.Manning and Goldblatt (ABP) have been reported to exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. In this study, murine CRC cells (CT26) and a murine model of CRC were used to examine the anti-tumor properties of ABP and explore the mechanism underlying the synergistic interactions between ABP and 5-FU. Our results revealed that ABP could inhibit tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migratory activity in vitro and inhibited tumor progression in vivo by suppressing β-catenin signaling. Additionally, treatment with a combination of ABP and 5-FU resulted in better outcomes than treatment with either agent alone. Moreover, this combination therapy resulted in the specific enrichment of Ruminococcus, Anaerostipes, and Oscillospira in the intestinal microbiota and increased fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels (acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid). The improvement in the intestinal microbiota and the increase in beneficial SCFAs contributed to enhanced therapeutic outcomes and reduced the adverse effects of 5-FU. Together, these data suggest that ABP exhibits anti-neoplastic activity and can effectively enhance the efficacy of 5-FU in CRC treatment. Therefore, further research on the application of ABP in the development of novel anti-tumor drugs and adjuvant compounds is warranted and could improve the outcomes of CRC patients.
Inflammation is an important risk factor in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Accumulating evidence indicates that some phytochemicals have anti-cancer properties. Polysaccharides extracted from Albuca bracteata (AB) have been reported to possess anti-neoplastic activities on colorectal cancer (CRC) models. However, it is still unclear whether they exert therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer. In this study, we investigate the properties of polysaccharides of A. bracteate, named ABP. The average molecular weight of ABP was 18.3 kDa and ABP consisted of glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid at a molar ratio of 37.8:8:2.5:1.7:1:1. An Azoxymethane/Dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS) induced CAC mouse model was established. The CAC mice treated with ABP showed smaller tumor size and lower tumor incidence than untreated ones. ABP increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, inhibited secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α), mitigated oxidative stress by increasing GSH and decreasing MDA levels, suppressed the activation of STAT3 and expressions of its related genes c-Myc and cyclin D1. Moreover, ABP treatment increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (f_Ruminococcaceae, g_Roseburia, g_Odoribacter, g_Oscillospira, and g_Akkermansia) and the levels of fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in CAC model mice. In summary, our data suggest that ABP could be a potential therapeutic agent for treating CAC.
Background: Artemisia annua has been used in traditional Chinese medicine and has recently emerged in contemporary medicine as an anti-malaria treatment due to the presence of artemisinin, and topically for cosmetics. Since Chinese regulations prohibit the use of artemisinin in consumer products, we previously developed a novel, topical, artemisinin-free A. annua extract byproduct called artemisia naphta (AN) oil. We demonstrated that AN oil extract was effective in vitro and clinically in subjects with sensitive and/or acne prone skin. Given these findings, we sought to determine the therapeutic potential of AN oil extract for atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. Results: Utilizing human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we screened for AN oil extract’s ability to inhibit T-cell mediated inflammation, a hallmark of AD and psoriasis. Results showed that AN oil extract significantly reduced T-cell Receptor induced IL-4 and IL-17A pro-inflammatory cytokine release. Given these promising in vitro results, we then tested AN oil extract’s activity in topical in vivo models for both AD and psoriasis. In the calcipotriol or MC903-AD-induced model, AN oil extract demonstrated reduction in mouse ear thickness (edema) and several serum cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IgE. Furthermore, AN oil extract was also effectively ameliorated lesions, significantly reduced psoriasis area and severity index score down to 5.4 and inhibited serum inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model. Conclusions: The results presented here make AN oil extract an attractive candidate for further development to treat AD and psoriasis as well as continued usage as a cosmetic ingredient.
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