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Mechanism of Gallic Acid Anticancer Activity Through Copper Mediated Cell Death

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Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects

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Abstract

Plant-based polyphenolic compounds are present in various dietary sources and considered to possess antioxidant activity. Gallic acid (GA) is one particularly important polyphenol. Studies have reported that GA is cytotoxic to cancer cells while normal cells remain unaffected by such action. We suggested a mechanism that suggests the preferential killing of GA against cancer cell. Using Comet assay (single cell gel electrophoresis) and Fox assay (ferrous oxidation xylenol), it has been shown that GA behaves as prooxidant and causes DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Moreover, such DNA damage is stopped in the presence of copper chelator in cell validating the role of copper in the prooxidant DNA breakage by GA. Also, human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) growth is interrupted by GA resulting killing of cell in prooxidant manner. It is an established fact; copper levels are well elevated in different types of cancers. Consequently, cancer cells are subjected to transfer of electron between GA to produce ROS. Thus, we explain the cytotoxicity of GA towards malignant cells is because of elevated copper levels. In addition, our studies identify that nuclear copper can be responsible as a completely new target for cytotoxic behavior of GA as well as other polyphenolic compounds, which have strong potential against cancer as therapeutic agent.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Sciences, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Mohd Farhan

  2. Department of Public Health, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Mohammad Aatif

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India

    Sheikh Mumtaz Hadi

  4. Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, 35294, Alabama, United States of America

    Aamir Ahmad

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  1. Mohd Farhan
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  2. Mohammad Aatif
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  3. Sheikh Mumtaz Hadi
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  4. Aamir Ahmad
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Correspondence to Mohd Farhan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, University of Kalyani Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Sajal Chakraborti

  2. Dept of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, College Vet, Columbia, MO, USA

    Bimal K Ray

  3. Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Ins, Kolkata, India

    Sushanta Roychowdhury

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Farhan, M., Aatif, M., Hadi, S.M., Ahmad, A. (2021). Mechanism of Gallic Acid Anticancer Activity Through Copper Mediated Cell Death. In: Chakraborti, S., Ray, B.K., Roychowdhury, S. (eds) Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_179-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_179-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

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