Effects of Selected Nigerian Medicinal Plants on the Viability, Mobility, and Multidrug-Resistant Mechanisms in Liver, Colon, and Skin Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Medicinal plants indicated for chronic diseases usually have good safety margins as they are intended for lifelong treatments. We hypothesized that they may provide patients with baseline protection to cancers and multidrug resistance-reversing phytochemicals resulting in successful prevention and/or adjuvant treatment of chemotherapy-resistant cancers. We selected 27 popular herbal infusions widely used in Nigeria for diabetes and studied their effects on a panel of liver (HepG2), colon (Caco2), and skin (B16-F10) cancer cells. Cytotoxicity was measured using the SRB staining assay. The 2D antimigratory effect was evaluated using an Oris™ platform. The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux activity was evaluated using Rh-123 as a fluorescent probe. The inhibition of tyrosinase-mediated melanogenesis was evaluated by colorimetric enzymatic assays. Our results show that melanoma cell proliferation was strongly inhibited by Anogeissus leiocarpus (Combretaceae), Bridelia ferruginea (Phyllanthaceae), D. ogea (Leguminosae), and Syzygium guineense (Myrtaceae) extracts (G I50 = 50 µg/ml). Alstonia boonei (Apocynaceae), Gongronema latifolium (Asclepiadaceae), and Strophanthus hispidus (Apocynaceae) were preferentially toxic against Caco2 (GI 50 = 50, 5 and 35 µg/ml, respectively). The most active extracts against different drug resistance mechanisms were B. ferruginea (inhibition of P-gp efflux, and impairing tyrosinase activity) and X. americana (inhibition of P-gp efflux). A. leiocarpus, Kaya senegalensis (Meliaceae), S. guineense, and Terminalia avicennioides (Combretaceae) significantly inhibited B16-F10 cell migration. Lupeol, ursolic acid, quercitrin, epicatechin, gallic acid, and ellagic acid were dereplicated by HPLC and HPTLC as their bioactive phytochemicals. In conclusion, the above in-vitro activities of herbal infusions regularly consumed by Nigerian diabetic patients may either act as a baseline chemoprotection or as sensitizing agents.

Portuguese Propolis Antitumoral Activity in Melanoma Involves ROS Production and Induction of Apoptosis

“…Absorbance was measured at 490 nm (Varioskan Flash, Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). IC 15 , IC 25 , and IC 50 values were calculated using GraphPad Software Version 8.0 [ 71 , 72 ]. Three independent experiments were carried out, each one conducted in triplicate.…”

Natural Inhibitors of P-glycoprotein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

“…AlQathama et al [ 99 ] evaluated the antiproliferative and antimigratory abilities of 27 popular herbal infusions, in addition to the reverse P-gp efflux, in many types of tumor cell lines. Among the bioactive phytochemicals contained in these plants, which possess a better activity in terms of reversing MDR, lupeol is also present.…”

Skin cancer biology and barriers to treatment: Recent applications of polymeric micro/nanostructures

“…To explore more about the mechanisms of MDR developments and to bring in control, researchers are engaged to try multi-ends approaches and achieved considerable success. For example, very recent, a novel research demonstrated that, some selected Nigerian medicinal plants are endowed with significant in vitro cytotoxicity and mediate the pathways to inhibit the MDR mechanisms in skin cancers [122] . Similarly, it is also clearly postulated that known biological active natural products: Silybin and Nobiletin are potent MDR reversal agents in cancer [123] , [124] .…”