Anticancer activity of thymoquinone: A promising anti-cancer drug from natural sources

Thymoquinone (TQ) is the bioactive phytochemical constituent of the seed oil of Nigella sativa. The purpose of this review was to highlight the potential of TQ as an anticancer agent and the chances of this compound in the clinical treatment of cancer, with special attention on breast cancer treatment. We searched the literature for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs using medical databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Knowledge, and through WHO regional databases. Thymoquinone (TQ), an active ingredient of Nigella sativa, has been reported to exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities through mechanism(s) that is not fully understood. In this study, we report the anticancer effects of TQ on breast cancer cells, and its potential effect on the PPAR-γ activation pathway. We found that TQ exerted strong anti-proliferative effect in breast cancer cells and, when combined with doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil, increased cytotoxicity. TQ was found to increase sub-G1 accumulation and annexin-V positive staining, indicating apoptotic induction. Nigella sativa and its active constituent thymoquinone (TQ) have long been used in traditional medicine for treating various conditions related to the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems as well as breast, colorectal, gastric, hepatic, pancreatic cancers and leukemia. TQ has anti-inflammatory effects, and it inhibits tumor cell proliferation through modulation of apoptosis signaling, inhibition of angiogenesis, and cell cycle arrest. Chemosensitization by TQ is mostly limited to in vitro studies, and it has potential in therapeutic strategy for cancer. Therefore, it is appropriate that TQ should move from testing on the bench to clinical experiments. TQ has been documented to possess chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic antitumor effects. TQ, modulates signaling pathways that are key to cancer progression, and enhances the anticancer potential of clinical drugs while reducing their toxic side effects.

کلیدواژه ها:

Breast cancer ، Drug delivery ، Pharmacokinetics ، Thymoquinone