Water extract of Ashwagandha leaves has anticancer activity: identification of an active component and its mechanism of action
Wadhwa R, Singh R, Gao R, Shah N, Widodo N, Nakamoto T, Ishida Y, Terao K, Kaul SC
PloS one · 43 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- In vitro/mechanistic study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People, plus animal or lab work
- Main outcome
- Mechanisms only
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Government
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Authors
- At least one author declares a financial tie to industry
Based on 2 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2013-10-10 · PLoS One · vol. 8 · issue 10 · p. e77189
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Cited
- 89 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 20.5× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 51 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants · Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds · Food Science and Nutritional Studies
- Keywords
- Cyclin D1, In vivo, Cancer cell, Cell cycle checkpoint, Metastasis, Pharmacology, Cell cycle, Chemistry, Cancer research, Biology, Cancer, Traditional medicine, Apoptosis, Biochemistry, Medicine, Biotechnology
- MeSH
- cell line, tumor, animals, humans, mice, withania, plant leaves, water, plant extracts, antineoplastic agents, solvents, xenograft model antitumor assays, cell proliferation, female
9 authors
From JP, ID
- Renu WadhwaNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Rumani SinghNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Ran GaoNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Navjot ShahNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Nashi WidodoNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Tomoko NakamotoNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Abstract
Background
Cancer is a leading cause of death accounting for 15-20% of global mortality. Although advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies have improved cancer survival statistics, 75% of the world population live in underdeveloped regions and have poor access to the advanced medical remedies. Natural therapies hence become an alternative choice of treatment. Ashwagandha, a tropical herb used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, has a long history of its health promoting and therapeutic effects. In the present study, we have investigated an anticancer activity in the water extract of Ashwagandha leaves (ASH-WEX).
Methodology/principal findings
Anticancer activity in the water extract of Ashwagandha leaves (ASH-WEX) was detected by in vitro and in vivo assays. Bioactivity-based size fractionation and NMR analysis were performed to identify the active anticancer component(s). Mechanism of anticancer activity in the extract and its purified component was investigated by biochemical assays. We report that the ASH-WEX is cytotoxic to cancer cells selectively, and causes tumor suppression in vivo. Its active anticancer component was identified as triethylene glycol (TEG). Molecular analysis revealed activation of tumor suppressor proteins p53 and pRB by ASH-WEX and TEG in cancer cells. In contrast to the hypophosphorylation of pRB, decrease in cyclin B1 and increase in cyclin D1 in ASH-WEX and TEG-treated cancer cells (undergoing growth arrest), normal cells showed increase in pRB phosphorylation and cyclin B1, and decrease in cyclin D1 (signifying their cell cycle progression). We also found that the MMP-3 and MMP-9 that regulate metastasis were down regulated in ASH-WEX and TEG-treated cancer cells; normal cells remained unaffected.
Conclusion
We provide the first molecular evidence that the ASH-WEX and TEG have selective cancer cell growth arrest activity and hence may offer natural and economic resources for anticancer medicine.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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