Anticancer Effects of Propolis Extracts Obtained with the Cold Separation Method on PC-3 and DU-145 Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Plant extracts are increasingly tested for their biological activity and interactions with neoplastic cells. One of such sources of biologically active substances is propolis. This product has been known for thousands of years and is widely used in alternative, folk medicine. Articles describing its effects on the metabolism and cell signaling pathways of neoplastic cells derived from different organs are also published more and more frequently. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the biological activity of propolis extract produced with the cold separation method into hormone-dependent and hormone-independent prostate cancer cell lines. In our study, the propolis extracts showed at least an inhibitory effect on the growth of PC-3 and DU-145 neoplastic cells. Our results suggest that propolis extracts obtained with the cold separation method may be considered as promising compounds for the production of health-promoting supplements.

Anticancer Effects of Propolis Extracts Obtained Using the Cold Separation Method on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

“…In our previous study [ 36 ], we proved that the tested propolis extracts significantly reduced the viability and inhibited the proliferation of prostate cancer cells (PC-3 and DU-145 cell lines). In the aforementioned work, the results of the influence of both extracts on the physiological line of human fibroblast cells were also presented.…”

“…The identified compounds in the propolis extract produced by Decont belong to various classes in terms of properties against human cell receptors [ 36 ]. The selected compounds identified in the extract that show biological activity towards estrogen receptors are presented in Table 1 .…”

“…It has been shown that some of the compounds contained in it, such as polyphenols, have an antioxidant and protective effect on normal cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy, thus reducing the side effects of aggressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy and, at the same time, improving the quality of life of patients. In turn, the mechanisms of cytotoxic action of anticancer compounds are most often associated with the induction of apoptosis or disruption of the cell cycle and the inhibition of metastases [ 16 , 36 ].…”

“…Genistein, another component of propolis, inhibits the cell cycle in the G2/M phases. This is achieved by reducing the expression of cyclin B and inducing p21 in a p53-independent manner, as shown by studies on prostate cancer cells [ 18 , 36 ].…”

“…The main chemical groups found in propolis are flavonoids, aliphatic and aromatic acids, phenolic esters, fatty acids, alcohols, terpenes, β-steroids, alkaloids, and organic acids such as cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, p -coumaric acid, caffeic acid (CA), or caffeic acid phenylethyl ester (CAPE) [ 16 , 18 , 19 , 30 ]. In our previous work [ 36 ], we reported the composition of the low-temperature extracts used in this study.…”