Gene Expression Changes in Spleens and Livers of Tumour-Bearing Mice Suggest Delayed Inflammation and Attenuated Cachexia in Response to Oil Palm Phenolics

Abstract

Background/Aim: Plant phenolics can inhibit, retard or reverse carcinogenesis, and may thus help prevent or treat cancer. Oil palm phenolics (OPP) previously showed anti-tumour activities in vivo via a cytostatic mechanism at 1,500 ppm gallic acid equivalent. Here, we report other possible molecular mechanisms by which this extract attenuates cancer, especially those concerning the immune response. Methods: We subcutaneously injected J558 myeloma cells in BALB/c mice and supplemented OPP orally at 1,500 ppm gallic acid equivalent. We observed the physiology parameters of these animals and harvested their spleens and livers after 18 h, 1 week and 4 weeks for microarray gene expression analysis using Illumina MouseRef-8 BeadChips. Results: Time course microarray analysis on spleens after injecting J558 myeloma cells in mice revealed that the immune response of tumour-bearing mice supplemented with OPP was lower compared to controls, thus suggesting delayed inflammation in response to OPP. In livers, cholesterol biosynthesis genes were upregulated while inflammatory genes were downregulated through time, further suggesting attenuation of systemic inflammation and cachexia. These effects correlated with the delayed in vivo development of syngeneic tumours in mice given OPP. Conclusions: This study suggests the possible utilisation of OPP as an anti-tumour and anti-cachexia agent.

Effect of oil palm phenolics on gastrointestinal transit, contractility and motility in the rat

“…Recently, a water soluble antioxidant preparation rich in polyphenolics has been recovered from this waste in an attempt to transform this heavy bio-burden into a series of high value bio-products (Sambanthamurthi, Sundram, & Tan, 2008a). For example, recent studies have identified a range of beneficial biological outcomes of oil palm phenolics (OPP) including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anti-diabetic, neuro-protective as well as vascular protective qualities (Abeywardena et al, 2002;Bolsinger, Pronczuk, Sambanthamurthi, & Hayes, 2014;Leow, Sekaran, Sundram, Tan, & Sambanthamurthi, 2013a;Leow, Sekaran, Tan, Sundram, & Sambanthamurthi, 2013b;Nasef, Mehta, Murray, Marlow, & Ferguson, 2014;Sambanthamurthi et al, 2011). These observation for OPP are in agreement with several other plant extracts and isolated polyphenols and flavonoids reported to exert biological actions on various cardiac (Fang et al, 2011;Wallace, Baczko, Jones, Fercho, & Light, 2006;Wu, Loh, Cheng, Lu, & Lin, 2013) and vascular smooth muscle cell preparations including modulation of contractility (Diebolt & Andriantsitohaina, 2002;Protic et al, 2013;Zhu, Wang, Ou, Han, & Li, 2013).…”

Fungal Dysbiosis Correlates with the Development of Tumor-Induced Cachexia in Mice

“…Additionally, R. oryzae has been reported to produce substantial amounts of various antioxidants and organic acids, including gallic acid [ 48 ]. Interestingly, an extract of oil palm phenolics (OPP), containing 1500 ppm gallic acid equivalent, has been shown to inhibit tumorigenesis, by mediating G1/S phase cell cycle arrest, delay inflammatory responses and attenuate cachexia symptoms in tumor-bearing mice [ 49 ]. Gallic acid has also been shown to improve glucose tolerance and triglyceride concentration in obese mice [ 49 ] and suppress lipogenesis in humans, while concomitantly combating pro-inflammatory responses [ 50 ].…”

Fungal Dysbiosis Correlates With the Development of Tumour-Induced Cachexia in Mice

“…Additionally, R. oryzae has been reported to produce substantial amounts of various antioxidants and organic acids, including gallic acid (76). Interestingly, an extract of oil palm phenolics (OPP), containing 1,500 ppm gallic acid equivalent, has been shown to inhibit tumorigenesis, by mediating G1/S phase cell cycle arrest, delay inflammatory responses and attenuate cachexia symptoms in tumorbearing mice (77,78). Gallic acid has also been shown to improve glucose tolerance and triglyceride concentration in obese mice (79) and suppress lipogenesis in humans, while concomitantly combating pro-inflammatory responses (80).…”