Antitumor effects of curcumin: A lipid perspective

Abstract

Lipid metabolism plays an important role in cancer development due to the necessities of rapidly dividing cells to increase structural, energetic, and biosynthetic demands for cell proliferation. Basically, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other related diseases, and cancer are associated with a common hyperactivated “lipogenic state.” Recent evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming and overproduction of enzymes involved in the synthesis of fatty acids are the new hallmarks of cancer, which occur in an early phase of tumorigenesis. As the first evidence to confirm dysregulated lipid metabolism in cancer cells, the overexpression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) was observed in breast cancer patients and demonstrated the role of FAS in cancer. Other enzymes of fatty acid synthesis have recently been found to be dysregulated in cancer, including ATP‐dependent citrate lyase and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase, which further underscores the connection of these metabolic pathways with cancer cell survival and proliferation. The degree of overexpression of lipogenic enzymes and elevated lipid utilization in tumors is closely associated with cancer progression. The question that arises is whether the progression of cancer can be suppressed, or at least decelerated, by modulating gene expression related to fatty acid metabolism. Curcumin, due to its effects on the regulation of lipogenic enzymes, might be able to suppress, or even cause regression of tumor growth. This review discusses recent evidence concerning the important role of lipogenic enzymes in the metabolism of cancer cells and whether the inhibitory effects of curcumin on lipogenic enzymes is therapeutically efficacious.

Interaction between Gut Microbiota and Curcumin: A New Key of Understanding for the Health Effects of Curcumin

“…Due to the presence of conjugated double bonds in its chemical structure, this polyphenol serves as an effective electron donor to counteract the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in many redox reactions [ 3 ], acting as a potent antioxidant. In addition, it has other important biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, and antiviral ones [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

GZ17‐6.02 initiates DNA damage causing autophagosome‐dependent HDAC degradation resulting in enhanced anti‐PD1 checkpoint inhibitory antibody efficacy

“…The most widely previously studied of these three compounds is the natural polyphenol curcumin; turmeric, the spice most associated with Indian cuisine is comprised of approximately 95% of curcumin and curcuminoid derivatives (Vishwakarma et al, 2018). Although curcumin has been intensively studied as cancer therapy for many years, the chemical has several major disadvantages as a potential drug including its very low solubility in water and its rapid first‐pass metabolism by the liver via glucuronidation or sulphation (Lagoa, Silva, Rodrigues, & Bishayee, 2019; Naeini et al, 2019). Curcumin combined in micelles with plant lecithin, in contrast, has almost 100‐fold greater bioavailability in terms of both C max and AUC, with safe peak plasma C max concentrations in the low micromolar levels (Belcaro, Hosoi, Pellegrini, Appendino, & Ippoito, 2014).…”

Antibiotic-induced disturbances of the gut microbiota result in accelerated breast tumour growth via a mast cell-dependent pathway

“…Rather, biological process enrichment analysis, showed that alterations were predominantly seen in metabolic processes, particularly in lipid and protein metabolism. Metabolic reprogramming is a well-established hallmark of cancer and upregulation of lipid metabolism is strongly associated with tumorigenesis, particularly in BrCa (43)(44)(45). The significant upregulation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) expression in our model suggests increased utilisation of circulating fatty acids.…”