Dietary Crocin is Protective in Pancreatic Cancer while Reducing Radiation-Induced Hepatic Oxidative Damage

• Published in: Nutrients 2020-06, Vol.12 (6), p.1901
• Main Authors: Bakshi, Hamid A, Zoubi, Mazhar S Al, Hakkim, Faruck L, Aljabali, Alaa A A, Rabi, Firas A, Hafiz, Amin A, Al-Batanyeh, Khalid M, Al-Trad, Bahaa, Ansari, Prawej, Nasef, Mohamed M, Charbe, Nitin B, Satija, Saurabh, Mehta, Meenu, Mishra, Vijay, Gupta, Gaurav, Abobaker, Salem, Negi, Poonam, Azzouz, Ibrahim M, Dardouri, Ashref Ali K, Dureja, Harish, Prasher, Parteek, Chellappan, Dinesh K, Dua, Kamal, Webba da Silva, Mateus, El Tanani, Mohamed, McCarron, Paul A, Tambuwala, Murtaza M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Bcl-2 protein; Body weight; c-Myc protein; Cancer therapies; Carotenoids - therapeutic use; Caspase; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell viability; Chemotherapy; Crocus - chemistry; Cyclin-dependent kinase 2; Cytochrome; Cytochrome c; Cytochromes c - metabolism; Cytosol; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Female; Gene expression; Genes; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Liver; Liver Diseases - etiology; Liver Diseases - prevention & control; Medical prognosis; Mice; Mice, Nude; Mitochondria; Myc protein; p53 Protein; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Pancreatic Neoplasms - genetics; Pancreatic Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Penicillin; Radiation; Radiation damage; Radiation effects; Radiation Injuries - prevention & control; Radiation therapy; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - genetics; Toxicity; Transcriptome; Tumors; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12061901

Pancreatic cancer is one of the fatal causes of global cancer-related deaths. Although surgery and chemotherapy are standard treatment options, post-treatment outcomes often end in a poor prognosis. In the present study, we investigated anti-pancreatic cancer and amelioration of radiation-induced oxidative damage by crocin. Crocin is a carotenoid isolated from the dietary herb saffron, a prospect for novel leads as an anti-cancer agent. Crocin significantly reduced cell viability of BXPC3 and Capan-2 by triggering caspase signaling via the downregulation of Bcl-2. It modulated the expression of cell cycle signaling proteins P53, P21, P27, CDK2, c-MYC, Cyt-c and P38. Concomitantly, crocin treatment-induced apoptosis by inducing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. Microarray analysis of the expression signature of genes induced by crocin showed a substantial number of genes involved in cell signaling pathways and checkpoints (723) are significantly affected by crocin. In mice bearing pancreatic tumors, crocin significantly reduced tumor burden without a change in body weight. Additionally, it showed significant protection against radiation-induced hepatic oxidative damage, reduced the levels of hepatic toxicity and preserved liver morphology. These findings indicate that crocin has a potential role in the treatment, prevention and management of pancreatic cancer.