Methylferulate from Tamarix aucheriana inhibits growth and enhances chemosensitivity of human colorectal cancer cells: possible mechanism of action.

Background: Natural products are valuable sources for anticancer agents. In the present study, methylferulate (MF) was identified for the first time from Tamarix aucheriana. Spectral data were used for identification of MF.

Growth inhibitory and chemo-sensitization effects of naringenin, a natural flavanone purified from Thymus vulgaris, on human breast and colorectal cancer.

Background: Natural products with diverse bioactivities are becoming an important source of novel agents with medicinal potential. Cancer is a devastating disease that causes the death of millions of people each year. Thus, intense research has been conducted on several natural products to develop novel anticancer drugs.

Valproic acid, an anti-epileptic drug and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, in combination with proteasome inhibitors exerts antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and chemosensitizing effects in human colorectal cancer cells: underlying molecular mechanisms.

Although the therapeutic efficacy of valproic acid (VPA) has been observed in patients with solid tumors, the very high concentration required to induce antitumor activity limits its clinical utility. The present study focused on the development of combined molecular targeted therapies using VPA and proteasome inhibitors (PIs: MG132, PI-1 and PR-39) to determine whether this combination of treatments has synergistic anticancer and chemosensitizing effects against colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the potential molecular mechanisms of action of the VPA/PI combinations were evaluated.