Cancer increases the global disease burden substantially, but it remains a challenge to manage it. The search for novel biomarkers is essential for risk assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, prediction of treatment response, and cancer monitoring. This paper examined NEDD8 ultimate buster-1 (NUB1) and F-adjacent transcript 10 (FAT10) proteins as novel biomarkers in cancer. This literature review is based on the search of the electronic database, PubMed. NUB1 is an interferon-inducible protein that mediates apoptotic and anti-proliferative actions in cancer, while FAT10 is a ubiquitin-like modifier that promotes cancer. The upregulated expression of both NUB1 and FAT10 has been observed in various cancers. NUB1 protein binds to FAT10 non-covalently to promote FAT10 degradation. An overexpressed FAT10 stimulates nuclear factor-kappa β, activates the inflammatory pathways, and induces the proliferation of cancer. The FAT10 protein interacts with the mitotic arrest deficient 2 protein, causing chromosomal instability and breast tumourigenesis. FAT10 binds to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein and inhibits the DNA damage repair response. In addition, FAT10 involves epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, apoptosis, and multiplication in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our knowledge about them is still limited. There is a need to further develop NUB1 and FAT10 as novel biomarkers.

Over the past eight decades, numerous research has been conducted on the extraction of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome. The mini-review includes information on the pharmacological properties of zerumbone extracted from Z. zerumbet rhizome and the extraction methods conducted over the previous 80 years. Zerumbone is recognised as having a proven pharmacological effect and is a significant medicinal component used to treat various ailments. The pharmacological values are stated based on the research findings. The extraction method and technology are essential to extract zerumbone. Thus, the review helps the reader keep up with the history of each technique or technology used in extracting zerumbone from Z. zerumbet rhizome, starting with conventional technology and moving toward advanced technology.

Current prognostic biomarkers fall short in stratifying Oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer patients regarding tumour progression risk at diagnosis. The role of AIPL1 in activating its tumour suppressor client protein, NEDD8 Ultimate Buster-1 (NUB1) remains unknown in cancer. Our study demonstrated how downregulated AIPL1 results in the deactivated NUB1 protein under hypoxic conditions. We examined the AIPL1-NUB1 pathwayin vitro using cell lines i.e. MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, RCC4 etc. NUB1 expression was assessed using Oncomine, and cBioPortal was performed to assess NUB1′s prognostic significance in human cancers. In the John Radcliffe Hospital cohort (n = 122), immunohistochemistry analysis revealed downregulated AIPL1 (Log2 fold change=-0.28; p < 0.001) and upregulated NUB1 transcripts (Log2 fold change=0.59; p < 0.001) compared to adjacent normal tissues. In severe chronic hypoxia, multimerised AIPL1 localisedin the cytoplasm while NUB1 protein migrated to the nucleus, where the absence of NUB1 nuclear localisation led to cell cycle arrest. Biopsies showed that patients with lower cytoplasmic NUB1 expression (n = 57) had poorer overall survival compared to those with higher cytoplasmic expression (n = 57), HR=1.78; 95 % CI=1.01–3.35, p = 0.048. Low NUB1 protein levels in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions were associated with cell cycle arrest and upregulation ofp21 and p27 in breast cancer cell lines, correlating significantly withpoorer survival outcomes in all breast cancer and ER-negative breast cancer patients.

Introduction: NEDD8 Ultimate Buster 1 (NUB1) is a regulator of the cell cycle and a prognostic marker in cancer patients. However, its role in breast cancer (BC) and its response to 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) treatment remain unclear. This study investigated NUB1’s predictive value in FEC treatment and its mechanistic interaction with the oestrogen receptor (ER) in BC. Methods: MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were treated with FEC and analysed via flow cytometry for cell cycle distribution. Western blotting assessed NUB1 and ERα expression, while immunohistochemistry was conducted on a retrospective cohort (n = 85) from Malaysian hospitals to evaluate the clinical significance of NUB1 expression. Results: FEC treatment induced S and G2 phase cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively), accompanied by NUB1 upregulation. In MCF-7 cells, G2/M arrest was observed (p = 0.01), with reduced ERα expression and increased NUB1 levels in both cell lines. Lower cytoplasmic NUB1 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.32–1.11; p = 0.10). Patients with low NUB1 and low ER expression showed the worst OS outcomes. Discussion: NUB1 upregulation following FEC treatment led to cell cycle arrest in ER-negative cells, whereas ERα suppression failed to induce S-phase arrest in ER-positive cells. Low NUB1 expression predicted poorer OS and increased BC recurrence. Conclusions: By integrating in vitro and clinical data, this study suggests that NUB1 may serve as a predictive biomarker in FEC-treated breast cancer. Larger studies are needed to validate and establish NUB1’s predictive role in FEC-treated patients.

Lempoyang, scientifically known as Zingiber zerumbet, is a plant rich in potential medicinal properties due to its numerous active ingredients. The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical composition and antibacterial potential of crude extracts of lempoyang obtained by subcritical water extraction (SWE). Fresh rhizomes of lempoyang were extracted using the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach with different extraction times (5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min and 25 min), while other extraction parameters were kept constant. The resulting crude extracts, characterised by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), contained 13 different constituents. Among these, 2,6,10-cycloundecatrien-1-one,2,6,9,9-tetramethyl-,(E,E,E)- or zerumbone consistently had the highest percentage area under the peak across all extraction times, ranging from 17.15% to 28.72% at retention times of 19.215 min to 19.270 min. Qualitative screening of these crude extracts revealed the presence of phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and tannins, indicating the rich phytochemical diversity of lempoyang. However, steroids and anthocyanins have not been detected. In terms of antibacterial activity, disc diffusion using the Kirby-Bauer method showed positive results for the 25-minute crude extract against Escherichia coli, yielding a zone of inhibition of 8.63 ± 0.36 mm at a concentration of 100 mg/mL/disc. None of the extracts were found to have detectable antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis and Serratia marcescens. These results emphasise the potential of SWE for extracting valuable compounds from fresh lempoyang rhizomes. At the same time, they highlight that different extraction times influence the phytochemical profile and antibacterial activity of the crude extracts at higher extract concentrations.