Monthly Archives: March 2017

α-Tocopherol as functional excipient for resveratrol and coenzyme Q10-loaded SNEDDS for improved bioavailability and prophylaxis of breast cancer.

Jain S, Garg T, Kushwah V, Thanki K, Agrawal AK, Dora CP.

J Drug Target. 2017 Mar 8:1-12. doi: 10.1080/1061186X.2017.1298603. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

The present study evaluates the prophylactic efficacy of α-tocopherol (α-TOH), resveratrol (RES), and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) co-loaded self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (α-TOH-RES-CoQ10 SNEDDS) in 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced breast cancer model. SNEDDS formulation components were rationally selected and optimized for maximum drug loading by applying the design of experiments and further evaluated for stability in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, functional stability of antioxidants, in vitro release, Caco-2 cell uptake, oral bioavailability and prophylactic anticancer activity. The SNEDDS demonstrated excellent stability in stimulated gastrointestinal fluids. The functional activity of antioxidants was confirmed by 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay wherein significantly (p > .05) higher antioxidant activity was observed in case of SNEDDS as compared with free antioxidants. Coumarin 6 (C-6)-loaded SNEDDS formulation demonstrated remarkably higher Caco-2 cell uptake in comparison with free C-6, indicative of efficient internalization of sub-micron SNEDDS droplets by Caco-2 cells. In line with Caco-2 cell uptake observations, α-TOH-RES-CoQ10-SNEDDS showed ∼2.30- and ∼3.64-fold increase in the AUC0-∞ values of RES and CoQ10 in comparison with free antioxidants. Significantly lower (p < .001) tumor volume (∼327 mm3) was found in case of animals treated with α-TOH-RES-CoQ10-SNEDDS in comparison with free antioxidant combination (∼1070 mm3) and DMBA control (∼1540 mm3) groups. Conclusively, the proposed strategy posed great potential in improving the prophylactic activity of antioxidants and hold promise for further exploration.

Read More

Inhibitory effect of a redox-silent analogue of tocotrienol on hypoxia adaptation in prostate cancer cells.

Shiozawa N, Sugahara R, Namiki K, Sato C, Ando A, Sato A, Virgona N, Yano T.

Anticancer Drugs. 2017 Mar;28(3):289-297. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000460.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in Western countries and acquires a malignant phenotype, androgen-independent growth. PCa under hypoxia often has resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, an effective therapy against PCa under hypoxia has not yet been established. In this report, we investigated the inhibitory effect of a redox-silent analogue of tocotrienol on the survival of a human androgen-independent PCa cell line (PC3) under hypoxia. We found that the redox-silent analogue exerted a cytotoxic effect on PC3 cells in a dose-dependent manner irrespective of either hypoxia or normoxia. Moreover, under hypoxia, the analogue dose dependently reduced the protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α. In addition, a specific inhibitor toward HIF-1α induced cytotoxicity on PC3 cells, whereas selective inhibition of HIF-2α exerted no effect. Furthermore, suppression of HIFs levels by the analogue in hypoxic PC3 cells was closely associated with the inactivation of Fyn, a member of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase family, as confirmed by the action of a specific inhibitor toward the kinase (PP2). Taken together, these results suggest that the tocotrienol analogue could inhibit the survival of PC3 cells under hypoxia, mainly by the inhibition of Fyn/HIF-1α signaling, and this may lead to the establishment of a new effective therapy for androgen-independent PCa.

Read More

The secret to baking healthier bread is vitamin E-rich palm oil

If you’re a baker, you may be interested in this fool-proof way to bake healthier bread. An Australian food scientist suggests using palm oil instead soybean or canola oil. Unlike those other oils, Malaysian sustainable palm oil is chock full of nutrients, and won’t break down at high temperatures. Oliver Buddrick, Ph.D., is not your ordinary scientist. He’s also a master pastry chef, and is studying ways to enhance baked goods’ health benefits. His recent Journal of Food Chemistry report details the benefits of using red palm oil when baking.

Read More