Effect of Piper cubeba total extract and isolated lignans on head and neck cancer cell lines and normal fibroblasts

Piper nigrum: Therapeutic Potential of Leaves Extract in HNSCC

“…Thus, our results showed that PTGER3 expression was reduced and PTGER4 expression was increased in both tumour cell lines, indicating that PTGS2 synthesized PGE2 and consequently activated only receptor 4, which is reported to be abundantly expressed in tongue carcinoma cells, and its hypermethylation is linked to recurrence in laryngeal cancer patients [28]. In particular, the results with PTGER3 corroborate the data found in recent studies by our group, which showed low expression after treatments with lignans and total extract of P. cubeba in SCC-25 cells [29].…”

Cubeb (Piper cubeba L.f.): A comprehensive review of its botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, and pharmacological properties

“…For instance, it was shown that, using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, P. cubeba extracts were not toxic to RAW 264.7 cells (monocyte/macrophage-like cells). In addition, normal oral fibroblasts treated with P. cubeba based compounds mainly methylcubebin, dihydrocubebin, and hinokinin showed neither cytotoxicity signs nor morphological changes ( 12 ). In vivo , it was found that the female Wister rats fed with the methanol extract of P. cubeba fruits were safe up to a maximum dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight.…”

“…They all decreased cell proliferation and migration with no change in cellular morphology and no genotoxic effects. This was attributed to the alteration of the expression of genes and proteins involved in the inflammatory process ( 12 ). This study concluded that cubebin and methylcubebin isolated from P. cubeba had a great effect on the proliferation, migration, and genotoxic profile of the head and neck cancer cells.…”

“…These compounds exhibited many biological activities mainly antimicrobial, anticancer, antimutagenic, antiparasitic, ovicidal, and anticholinesterase ( Table 7 ). In fact, lignans from P. cubeba were shown to alter the expression of PTGS2 and MMP2 proteins in head and neck cancer cells ( 12 ). Additionally, (−)-cubebin derivatives, (−)-hinokinin, and (−)- O -benzyl cubebin (OBZ) at 40 mg/kg inhibited the inflammation in vivo induced by injection of either PGE2 or dextran into the paw of animals in comparison to indomethacin, the reference standard ( 101 ).…”

“…These biological activities are due to its chemical composition, especially, phenolic acids and flavonoids, that have been detected in P. cubeba extracts ( 9 – 11 ). The plant is also a rich source of lignans particularly cubebin, a bioactive compound with a wide range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticaner, and neuroprotective, among others ( 5 , 12 ). Overall, the most reported modes of action by which P. cubeba extracts exert its biological activities involve many intracellular targets, among them the regulation of genes expression, inhibition of oxidative stress, induction of apoptosis and quorum sensing inhibition in pathogenic microbes.…”