Anti-cancer effect of Atractylodes macrocephala extract by double induction of apoptotic and autophagic cell death in head and neck cancer cells

Abstract

The apoptosis resistance restricts the efficacy of traditional therapies of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To overcome this problem, Atractylodes macrocephala, a traditional Korean and Chinese herbal medicine, has been used in clinical practice. In the present study, the anticancer effect of A. macrocephala extract was investigated and its underlying mechanisms using head and neck cancer KB cell line. The extract-induced cytotoxicity was mediated by autophagic cell death as well as apoptosis in HNSCC cells though extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the Akt/mTOR autophagic pathway. This study suggests that A. macrocephala extracts can be a potential drug to overcome side effects and susceptibility for head and neck carcinoma by double induction of apoptosis and autophagy.

The chemistry and efficacy benefits of polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz

“…It has been reported that Astragalus polysaccharide ( Li et al, 2020a ), Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide ( Liu et al, 2020 ), Angelica sinensis polysaccharide ( Yang J. et al, 2018 ) and Lentinus edodes polysaccharide ( Xu et al, 2018 ) have antitumour activity. The polysaccharides from AM showed extensive antitumour activity on many kinds of tumour cells, such as oesophagal cancer, liver cancer, malignant glioma, colorectal cancer and lung cancer cells ( Kou et al, 2017 ; Zhu et al, 2018 ). The anticancer activity is mediated via inducing tumour cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumour cell migration, invasion and metastasis, regulating the tumour microenvironment and immune function, and inhibiting tumour cell proliferation ( Chen and Huang, 2018 ) ( Table 3 ).…”