Soursop (Annona muricata Lin.) is a plant belonging to the Annonaceae family that has been widely used globally as a traditional medicine for many diseases. In this review, we discuss the traditional use, chemical content, and pharmacological activities of A.muricata. From 49 research articles that were obtained from 1981 to 2021, A.muricata’s activities were shown to include anticancer (25%), antiulcer (17%), antidiabetic (14%), antiprotozoal (10%), antidiarrhea (8%), antibacterial (8%), antiviral (8%), antihypertensive (6%), and wound healing (4%). Several biological activities and the general mechanisms underlying the effects of A.muricata have been tested both in vitro and in vivo. A.muricata contains chemicals such as acetogenins (annomuricins and annonacin), alkaloids (coreximine and reticuline), flavonoids (quercetin), and vitamins, which are predicted to be responsible for the biological activity of A.muricata.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women globally, and the incidence rate has increased annually. Traditional medicine is frequently used as a cancer treatment, and soursop or Annona muricata L (A. muricata) is a traditional medicinal plant that has been widely used as an anticancer treatment and requires more thorough study. Methods: In this research, we prepared ethanol extract and three solvents, ie, ethyl acetate, n-hexane and water fractions of A. muricata leaves and assessed their antiproliferation and cytotoxic activity on MCF7 breast cancer cells compared with that on CV1 normal kidney cells; observation of cell morphology by stained with mixture of propidium iodide and 4ʹ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole indicated that this treatment induced an ongoing process of apoptotic cell death in MCF7 cells. To clarify the cell death mechanism via apoptosis, we assessed the mRNA expression in the caspase cascade of caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP-1, and anti-apoptotic, Bcl-2 which mediated cytotoxic activity of extracts and ethyl acetate fractions of A. muricata leaves against MCF7 cells. Results: The ethanol extract, ethyl acetate, n-hexane, and water fractions of A. muricata leaves had IC₅₀ values of 5.3, 2.86, 3.08, and 48.31 μg/mL, respectively, in MCF7 cells but had no activity in CV1 cells. The high cytotoxic activity of A. muricata leaves was reflected by changes in the morphology of cancer cells that appeared after 6 h exposure to A. muricata leaf extract and ethyl acetate fraction; the membrane and nucleus of cells undergoing apoptosis were characterized by the rupture and loss of membranes and nuclei. The mechanism that mediates this cytotoxic activity in MCF7 cells was mediated through a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and an increase in caspase-9 and caspase-3 mRNA expression. Conclusion: Therefore, the leaves of the medicinal plant A. muricata contained compounds that on extraction exerted a highly effective activity as an anticancer treatment for breast cancer via induced apoptotic cell death.

Introduction: In this study, Callyspongia aerizusa (CA), one of the most popular marine sponges for cancer therapy research, was investigated for its phytochemical compounds and evaluated for its anticancer activity in various cell lines. Since lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, a solution from this marine source is a good choice to address the resistance to anticancer agents. Elucidation of the underlying mechanism of cell death elicited by a CA extract in human lung carcinoma cells A549 was undertaken. Methods: The presence of secondary metabolites in CA methanol extract was revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and evaluated on four cancerous cell lines and a non-cancerous cell line using Cell Counting Kit-8. Since the activity of CA extract in A549 cells was then evaluated through clonogenic assay, morphological detection of apoptosis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot assay, were also presented in this study. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of two ergosteroids, ergost-22-en-3-one, (5β,22E), and ergost-7-en-3-ol, (35β) in the sponge extract that was suggested to suppress A549 cells (IC₅₀ 9.38 μg/mL), and another cancerous cell’s viability (IC₅₀ 3.12– 10.72 μg/mL) in 24 h, but not in the non-cancerous cells. Moreover, CA extract was also able to reduce the colony-forming ability of A549 cells, and through A549 cells morphology seems that apoptosis is the underlying mechanism of cell death. Further, the treatment with CA extract induced the up-regulation of caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP-1, and the down-regulation of BCL-2, in both mRNA and proteins expression level, promoting apoptotic cell death via caspase cascade. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the compounds in CA extract possess the ability to induce apoptotic cell death in A549 cells and could become a promising candidate for future anticancer therapy.

Tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) is a protein that is induced by TNF-mediated NF-κB activation and has a dual function in regulating NF-κB. TNFAIP3 is associated with inflammatory carcinogenesis in many cancer types. However, the clinical significance of TNFAIP3 expression and function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not yet been reported. We examined 149 ESCC tissue specimens to determine the clinical significance of TNFAIP3 by immunohistochemistry. Western blot analyses were used to detect TNFAIP3 expression in TE-1, TE-8, TE-15 and KYSE-70 ESCC cells and in Het-1A, a non-cancerous esophageal cell line. TNFAIP3 protein knockdown was conducted using small-interfering RNA to investigate its impact on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Significant correlations between TNFAIP3 expression and differentiation (P=0.04) among clinicopathological characteristics of ESCC patients were demonstrated, and high TNFAIP3 expression was associated with poor survival (P=0.02). Moreover, multivariate analysis result showed that high TNFAIP3 expression was an independent factor for poor survival (P=0.04). In vitro analysis showed high expression of TNFAIP3 protein in TE-15 cells and low expression in Het-1A cells. Furthermore, the proliferation, migration and invasion of TE-15 cells after TNFAIP3 suppression by siRNA were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that TNFAIP3 protein may be an independent prognostic marker for poor survival, and a promising target for ESCC therapy.

Purpose: Phytosome technology, an advanced lipid-based delivery system, offers a promising solution for enhancing the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of secondary metabolites, particularly in cancer treatment. These metabolites, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids, possess significant anticancer potential but are often limited by poor solubility and low absorption. This review aims to investigate how phytosome encapsulation improves the pharmacokinetic profiles and anticancer effectiveness of these bioactive compounds. Patients and Methods: This comprehensive review is based on an analysis of recent literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases. It focuses on findings from preclinical and in vitro studies that examine the pharmacokinetic enhancements provided by phytosome technology when applied to secondary metabolites. Results: Phytosome-encapsulated secondary metabolites exhibit significantly improved solubility, absorption, distribution, and cellular uptake compared to non-encapsulated forms. This enhanced bioavailability facilitates more effective inhibition of cancer pathways, including NF-κB and PI3K/AKT, leading to increased anticancer efficacy in preclinical models. Conclusion: Phytosome technology has demonstrated its potential to overcome bioavailability challenges, resulting in safer and more effective therapeutic options for cancer treatment. This review highlights the potential of phytosome-based formulations as a novel approach to anticancer therapy, supporting further development in preclinical, in vitro, and potential clinical applications.

One of the most widespread biotas in the sea is the sponge. Callyspongia is a sponge genus found in the seas, making it easily available. In this review, the pharmacological activity and mechanism of action of the secondary metabolites of Callyspongia spp. are addressed, which may lead to the development of new drugs and targeted therapeutic approaches. Several scientific databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate, Science Direct, Springer Link, and Wiley Online Library, were mined to obtain relevant information. In the 41 articles reviewed, Callyspongia spp. was reported to possess pharmacological activities such as cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (36%), antifungal (10%), anti-inflammatory (10%), immunomodulatory (10%), antidiabetic and antiobesity (6%), antimicrobial (8%), antioxidant (4%), antineurodegenerative (4%), antihypercholesterolemic (2%), antihypertensive (2%), antiparasitic (2%), antiallergic (2%), antiviral (2%), antiosteoporotic (2%), and antituberculosis (2%) activities. Of these, the antioxidant, antituberculosis, and anti-inflammatory activities of Callyspongia extract were weaker compared with that of the control drugs; however, other activities, particularly cytotoxicity, show promise, and the compounds responsible may be developed into new drugs.