French Grape Seed Extract

ABSTRACTS/RESEARCH > French Grape Seed Extract

04/12/2021

1. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) from grape seed extract suppress the activity of ABC transporters in overcoming chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells. Multidrug resistance is a major hindrance in managing cancer. By performing a series of experiments in chemoresistant colorectal cancer cell lines, we demonstrate that oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) from grape seed extracts (VX1®) can sensitize both acquired (HCT116-FOr cells) and innately chemoresistant (H716 cells) cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin, by inhibiting ABC transporter proteins. When combined with chemotherapeutic drugs, OPCs significantly inhibited growth of the chemoresistant cells (p<0.05 to p<0.001), and decreased the expression of several key ABC transporters. Moreover, the activity of the ABC transporters was also significantly decreased by OPCs in the cell lines (p<0.05). We further confirmed that co-treatment with OPCs sensitized the chemoresistant cells to 5FU and oxaliplatin, as observed by improvement in cell cycle arrest, double strand breaks and p53 accumulation in these cells. Additionally, we confirmed that co-administration of OPCs with chemotherapeutic drugs significantly decreased chemoresistant xenograft tumor growth in mice (p<0.05). Together, our study illuminates the downregulation of multiple ABC transporters as a mechanism by which OPCs overcome chemoresistance in cancer cells, and may serve as adjunctive treatments in patients with refractory colorectal cancer. [Ravindranathan P, Pasham D, Goel A. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) from grape seed extract suppress the activity of ABC transporters in overcoming chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. 29 Dec 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgy184]
2. Mechanistic insights into anticancer properties of oligomeric proanthocyanidins from grape seeds in colorectal cancer.
  Although the anticancer properties of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) from grape seeds have been well recognized, the molecular mechanisms by which they exert anticancer effects are poorly understood. In this study, through comprehensive RNA-sequencing-based gene expression profiling in multiple colorectal cancer cell lines, we for the first time illuminate the genome-wide effects of OPCs from grape seeds in colorectal cancer. Our data revealed that OPCs affect several key cancer-associated genes. In particular, genes involved in cell cycle and DNA replication were most significantly and consistently altered by OPCs across multiple cell lines. Intriguingly, our in vivo experiments showed that OPCs were significantly more potent at decreasing xenograft tumor growth compared with the unfractionated grape seed extract (GSE) that includes the larger polymers of proanthocyanidins. These findings were further confirmed in colorectal cancer patient-derived organoids, wherein OPCs more potently inhibited the formation of organoids compared with GSE. Furthermore, we validated alteration of cell cycle and DNA replication-associated genes in cancer cell lines, mice xenografts as well as patient-derived organoids. Overall, this study provides an unbiased and comprehensive look at the mechanisms by which OPCs exert anticancer properties in colorectal cancer. [Ravindranathan P, Pasham D, Balaji U, Cardenas J, Gu J, Toden S, Goel A. Mechanistic insights into anticancer properties of oligomeric proanthocyanidins from grape seeds in colorectal cancer. Carcinogenesis. 2018 May 28;39(6):767-777.
3. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) target cancer stem-like cells and suppress tumor organoid formation in colorectal cancer. Proanthocyanidins are a heterogeneous group of flavan-3-ol or flavan-3,4-diol oligomers present in various fruits and vegetables. In particular, the smaller oligomeric subset of proanthocyanidins, termed the oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) appear to have potent anti-tumorigenic properties, but the underlying mechanisms for their effectiveness remain unclear. Herein, we utilized a series of in vitro, in vivo and patient-derived organoid approaches to systematically investigate the chemoprotective role of OPCs in colorectal cancer. OPCs exerted anti-tumorigenic effects through inhibition of cellular proliferation, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Intriguingly, OPCs suppressed spheroid derived cancer stem-like cell formation and decreased the expression of intestinal cancer stem cell markers including LGR5, CD44 and CD133. Mechanistically, RNA-sequencing results confirmed that OPCs prominently interfered with developmental and self-renewal pathways and identified several self-renewal associated oncogenes targeted by OPCs. Furthermore, OPCs inhibited Hippo pathway through downregulation of its key transcriptional regulators, YAP and TAZ. Finally, we confirmed antitumorigenic effects of OPCs using multiple xenograft experiments and recapitulated its protective effects using patient-derived colorectal tumor organoids. Collectively, we have comprehensively assessed anti-tumorigenic properties of OPCs and our data throws light on previously unrecognized chemopreventive mechanisms of OPCs highlighting its therapeutic potential. [Toden S, Ravindranathan P, Gu J, Cardenas J, Yuchang M, Goel A. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) target cancer stem-like cells and suppress tumor organoid formation in colorectal cancer. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):3335. Data also presented as: Toden S, Goel, A. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins inhibit Hippo-YAP pathway and prevent colorectal cancer stem cell formation. Poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer research (AACR) annual meeting. New Orleans, LA. April 16-20, 2016.]
  Combination Studies Using French Grape Seed Extract
4. A combination of curcumin and oligomeric proanthocyanidins offer superior anti-tumorigenic properties in colorectal cancer. Combining anti-cancer agents in cancer therapies is becoming increasingly popular due to improved efficacy, reduced toxicity and decreased emergence of resistance. Here, we test the hypothesis that dietary agents such as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) and curcumin cooperatively modulate cancer-associated cellular mechanisms to inhibit carcinogenesis. By a series of in vitro assays in colorectal cancer cell lines, we showed that the anti-tumorigenic properties of the OPCs-curcumin combination were superior to the effects of individual compounds. By RNA-sequencing based gene-expression profiling in six colorectal cancer cell lines, we identified the cooperative modulation of key cancer-associated pathways such as DNA replication and cell cycle pathways. Moreover, several pathways, including protein export, glutathione metabolism and porphyrin metabolism were more effectively modulated by the combination of OPCs and curcumin. We validated genes belonging to these pathways, such as HSPA5, SEC61B, G6PD, HMOX1 and PDE3B to be cooperatively modulated by the OPCs-curcumin combination. We further confirmed that the OPCs-curcumin combination more potently suppresses colorectal carcinogenesis and modulated expression of genes identified by RNA-sequencing in mice xenografts and in colorectal cancer patient-derived organoids. Overall, by delineating the cooperative mechanisms of action of OPCs and curcumin, we make a case for the clinical co-administration of curcumin and OPCs as a treatment therapy for patients with colorectal cancer. [Ravindranathan P, et al. A combination of curcumin and oligomeric proanthocyanidins offer superior anti-tumorigenic properties in colorectal cancer. Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 14;8(1):13869.]
5. Enhanced anti-cancer activity of andrographis with oligomeric proanthocyanidins through activation of metabolic and ferroptosis pathways in colorectal cancer.
  The high degree of morbidity and mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is largely due to the development of chemoresistance against conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. In view of the accumulating evidence that various dietary botanicals ofer a safe, inexpensive and multi-targeted treatment option, herein, we hypothesized that a combination of Andrographis paniculata and Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs) might interact together with regard to anti-tumorigenic activity in CRC. As a result, we demonstrated the enhanced anti-cancer activity between these two botanical extracts in terms of their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, suppress colony formation and induce apoptosis. Furthermore, we validated these fndings in subcutaneous xenograft model and in patient derived primary epithelial 3D organoids. Transcriptomic profling identifed involvement of metabolic pathways and ferroptosis-associated genes, including HMOX1, GCLC and GCLM, that may be responsible for the increased anti-tumorigenic activity by the two compounds. Collectively, our study provides novel evidence in support of the combinatorial use of andrographis and OPCs as a potential therapeutic option, perhaps as an adjunctive treatment to classical drugs, in patients with colorectal cancer. [Shimura T, Sharma P, Sharma GG, Banwait JK, Goel A. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):7548.]
6. Enhanced anti-cancer activity of andrographis with oligomeric proanthocyanidins through activation of metabolic and ferroptosis pathways in colorectal cancer.
  The high degree of morbidity and mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is largely due to the development of chemoresistance against conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. In view of the accumulating evidence that various dietary botanicals ofer a safe, inexpensive and multi-targeted treatment option, herein, we hypothesized that a combination of Andrographis paniculata and Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs) might interact together with regard to anti-tumorigenic activity in CRC. As a result, we demonstrated the enhanced anti-cancer activity between these two botanical extracts in terms of their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, suppress colony formation and induce apoptosis. Furthermore, we validated these fndings in subcutaneous xenograft model and in patient derived primary epithelial 3D organoids. Transcriptomic profling identifed involvement of metabolic pathways and ferroptosis-associated genes, including HMOX1, GCLC and GCLM, that may be responsible for the increased anti-tumorigenic activity by the two compounds. Collectively, our study provides novel evidence in support of the combinatorial use of andrographis and OPCs as a potential therapeutic option, perhaps as an adjunctive treatment to classical drugs, in patients with colorectal cancer. [Shimura T, Sharma P, Sharma GG, Banwait JK, Goel A. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):7548.]