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Nerolidol, Bioactive Compound Suppress Growth of HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cells Through Cell Cycle Arrest and Induction of Apoptosis

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Abstract

Colon cancer is the most prevalent cancer and causes the highest cancer-associated mortality in both men and women globally. It has a high incidence and fatality rate, which places a significant burden on the healthcare system. The current work was performed to understand the beneficial roles of nerolidol on the viability and cytotoxic mechanisms in the colon cancer HCT-116 cells. The MTT cytotoxicity assay was done to investigate the effect of nerolidol at different doses (5–100 µM) on the HCT-116 cell viability. The impacts of nerolidol on ROS accumulation and apoptosis were investigated using DCFH-DA, DAPI, and dual staining assays, respectively. The flow cytometry analysis was performed to study the influence of nerolidol on the cell cycle arrest in the HCT-116 cells. The outcomes of the MTT assay demonstrated that nerolidol at different doses (5–100 µM) substantially inhibited the HCT-116 cell viability with an IC50 level of 25 µM. The treatment with nerolidol appreciably boosted the ROS level in the HCT-116 cells. The findings of DAPI and dual staining revealed higher apoptotic incidences in the nerolidol-exposed HCT-116 cells, which supports its ability to stimulate apoptosis. The flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the considerable inhibition in cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase in the nerolidol-exposed HCT-116 cells. Our research showed that nerolidol can inhibit the cell cycle, increase ROS accumulation, and activate apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. In light of this, it may prove to be a potent and salutary candidate to treat colon cancer.

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Abbreviations

DMOS:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

FBS:

Fetal bovine serum

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

DAPI:

4′,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole

DCFH-DA:

2′-7′-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate

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Funding

This project was supported by Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2023R383), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine Department, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China

    Xiaoqian Zhao

  2. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box -2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Arunachalam Chinnathambi & Sulaiman Ali Alharbi

  3. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center, Tyler, TX, 75708, USA

    Nandakumar Natarajan

  4. Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 600077, Tamil Nadu, India

    Muthusamy Raman

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  1. Xiaoqian Zhao
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  2. Arunachalam Chinnathambi
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  4. Nandakumar Natarajan
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Correspondence to Muthusamy Raman.

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Zhao, X., Chinnathambi, A., Alharbi, S.A. et al. Nerolidol, Bioactive Compound Suppress Growth of HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cells Through Cell Cycle Arrest and Induction of Apoptosis. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 196, 1365–1375 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-023-04612-9

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