Role of reactive oxygen species in the anticancer activity of botanicals: Comparing sensitivity profiles

Zoya Cohen, Yair Maimon*, Noah Samuels, Raanan Berger

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Numerous botanicals have been shown to exhibit in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, some of which is the result of the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells with a high ROS content. The present study compared sensitivities to a series of botanicals among cancer cell lines, using an XTT viability test, in order to create a specific cancer-herb profile. Of the 27 botanicals screened, 10 exhibited a cytotoxic effect, 7 of which were ROS-mediated. The sensitivity profiles of the ROS-inducing botanicals in 10 cancer cell lines were similar, unlike 3 cytotoxic ROS-independent botanicals that displayed divergent botanical-specific profiles. The correlation between sensitivity profiles of ROS-inducing botanicals suggests a common mechanism of action, in contrast to the varied mechanism of ROS-independent botanicals. This implies that the investigation of the anticancer activity of botanicals should start with the examination of ROS-mediated activity. Further investigation of ROS sensitivity among various tumor types is required in order to guide research into developing evidence-based guidelines in the use of botanicals for cancer treatment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2642-2648
Number of pages7
JournalOncology Letters
Volume13
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Botanical
  • Cancer
  • Cytotoxic
  • Reactive oxygen species
  • Sensitivity profile

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Role of reactive oxygen species in the anticancer activity of botanicals: Comparing sensitivity profiles'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this