Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE): pharmacodynamics and potential for therapeutic application

Abstract

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is the major pharmacologically-active component of some propolis types, rich in polyphenols, such as poplar propolis types. CAPE has the potential to be applied as a pharmaceutical as it possesses most of the pharmacological activities of propolis, such as anti-proliferative, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Its advantage is that it lacks some of the downsides of total propolis extracts, such as inability for unified standardization, which is cornerstone for implementing its therapeutic potential as a drug. The current paper provides an overview on the pharmacodynamic principles of CAPE. We present literature search outcomes form ClinicalTrials.gov database and from scientific publications, available on Scopus and Crossref databases. We take a round view of CAPE’s potential therapeutic implications in light of approved drugs with related modes of action.

An Update on the Role of Dietary Phytochemicals in Human Skin Cancer: New Insights into Molecular Mechanisms

“…Chen et al reported that CAPE attenuated the expressions of Bcl-2, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 in leukemia cell lines, which subsequently led to cell death [ 178 ]. Yordanov et al also showed that CAPE exhibits antioxidant effects on murine skin at lower doses [ 179 ]. In short, CAPE may act as a chemopreventive agent for skin cancer, however, clinical trials are required to verify the overall efficacy.…”

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE): cornerstone pharmacological studies and drug delivery systems

“…This first period is followed by one of rapidly increasing number of publications, predominantly elucidating the mechanisms behind CAPE's pharmacological activities and proposing new applications for diseases, known to be affected by these activities. This period after the year 2000 and especially the research on the basic principles behind CAPE's impressive diversity of biological effects are the subjects of a related article (Yordanov 2019). Table 1 presents chronologically cornerstone publications on CAPE research, clearly demonstrating its plethora of pharmacological activities.…”

“…It can be easily synthesized, having a relatively simple structure, resolving the characterization and standardization issues. An overview on the potential of CAPE for therapeutic application, focusing on the pharmacodynamic principles, underlying its various pharmacological activities, as well as registered clinical trials has been presented in a related article (Yordanov 2019). The current review is focused on the discovery of CAPE and its pharmacological potential as well as practical approaches for its pharmaceutical formulation.…”

Antifungal and Anti-Biofilm Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester on Different Candida Species

“…It has been studied extensively as the most important individual component of propolis. Existing studies focused on its potential therapeutic properties such as its antibiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, antitumor, antidiabetic, anti-neurodegeneration, and anti-anxiety properties [ 13 , 16 , 17 ]. Numerous studies demonstrated the antibacterial activity of CAPE against different bacterial species [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“…CAPE may be a promising natural product for clinical application in the future [ 21 ]. One of the major advantages is that CAPE is devoid of some negative aspects of crude extracts of propolis, which includes, the inability to be standardized, which is a keystone of implementing it as therapy in the field of medicine [ 16 ]. This study aimed to investigate how CAPE, as a single molecule, affects planktonic growth, biofilm-forming abilities, mature biofilms, and cell death of some Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species and strains.…”