article · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, driving the search for new treatments. Researchers evaluated an alkaloidal extract obtained from the leaves of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides for its effects on liver cancer phenotypes in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Liver damage and cancer-like conditions were induced using carbon tetrachloride mixed with olive oil. Over a twelve-week treatment period, oral administration of the extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced tumour incidence and improved serum gamma-glutamyl transferase levels compared to controls. The extract also repaired liver tissue distortions, normalised the liver to body weight ratio, and arrested cell division in an Allium cepa mitosis assay. Overall, the alkaloidal extract demonstrated hepatoprotective effects and improved both liver and kidney function markers, supporting its potential as a natural source of anti-cancer compounds.
Liver cancer is difficult to treat and causes substantial mortality worldwide. Current pharmaceutical options remain limited, making the search for supportive therapies vital. Demonstrating that an alkaloid-rich plant extract can lessen tumour occurrence and protect organ function in animal models offers a promising direction for discovering new bioactive compounds to combat inflammation-linked cancers.
This research provides early-stage preclinical evidence for pharmaceutical developers seeking bioactive lead compounds for hepatocellular carcinoma. The findings suggest potential application as an adjunctive therapeutic or hepatoprotective agent. However, the technology is at an early experimental stage, having only been tested in laboratory rat models and plant assays, meaning substantial further testing, isolation of active compounds, and clinical trials will be needed before clinical or commercial use.
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Background. Despite the enrollment of new small molecules such as Sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), HCC still remains a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality and morbidity globally. Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides is long suspected of possessing anticancer bioactive compounds that may hold the prospect of adjunctive therapy against inflammation-related cancers such as HCC. Objective. This study assessed the effects of an alkaloidal extract of the leaves of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides on CCl4/olive oil (1 : 1 v/v)-induced HCC-like phenotypes in rats. Materials and Methods. Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides alkaloidal extract (ZZAE) was prepared using Soxhlet and liquid-liquid extraction methods. Subsequently, ZZAE was characterized phytochemically. In the curative method, experimental HCC was established in adult (8–10 weeks old) male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150–300 g by twice-daily administration of CCl4/olive oil (1 : 1 v/v) (2 mL/kg ip). After confirmation of experimental HCC in rats, the rats were randomly reassigned into seven (7) groups of seven (7) rats each and treated daily for 12 weeks as follows: control (normal saline, 5 ml/kg po), model (CCl4, 5 ml/kg, ip), ZZAE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg po), carvedilol (6.25 mg/kg po), and 20% Tween20 (1 mL/rat, po). To assess whether ZZAE has a prophylactic (preventive) effect, rats were first treated with ZZAE and later exposed to CCl4 reconstituted in olive oil. Results. ZZAE (100 and 200 mg/kg) and carvedilol decreased tumor incidence compared to that of control. Compared to control, ZZAE (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly ( <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <a:mi>P</a:mi> <a:mo><</a:mo> <a:mn>0.05</a:mn> </a:math> ) improved serum GGT. Compared to control, ZZAE improved hepatohistological distortions induced by CCl4/olive oil and also improved liver/body weight ratio. Compared to water, ZZAE arrested mitosis in the Allium cepa assay. Conclusion. ZZAE ameliorated CCl4/olive oil-induced HCC-like phenotype in rats and demonstrated general hepatoprotective effects by improving liver and kidney function markers. This finding rationalizes the need for further studies on ZZAE as a potential source of bioactive anti-HCC compounds.
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DOI: 10.1155/2021/3804379
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