title: Mechanistic perspectives on cancer chemoprevention/chemotherapeutic effects of thymoquinone.
abstract: The bioactive natural products (plant secondary metabolites) are widely known to possess therapeutic value for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases including cancer. Thymoquinone (2-methyl-5-isopropyl-1,4-benzoquinone; TQ), a monoterpene present in black cumin seeds, exhibits pleiotropic pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antitumor effects. TQ inhibits experimental carcinogenesis in a wide range of animal models and has been shown to arrest the growth of various cancer cells in culture as well as xenograft tumors in vivo. The mechanistic basis of anticancer effects of TQ includes the inhibition of carcinogen metabolizing enzyme activity and oxidative damage of cellular macromolecules, attenuation of inflammation, induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells, blockade of tumor angiogenesis, and suppression of migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. TQ shows synergistic and/or potentiating anticancer effects when combined with clinically used chemotherapeutic agents. At the molecular level, TQ targets various components of intracellular signaling pathways, particularly a variety of upstream kinases and transcription factors, which are aberrantly activated during the course of tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu 704 701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Juthika
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu 704 701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, American University of Health Sciences, Signal Hill, CA 90755, USA. Electronic address: oaruoma@auhs.edu.
authors.forename: Okezie I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Aruoma
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu 704 701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kundujk@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Joydeb Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kundu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D016227:Benzoquinones; C003466:thymoquinone
keywords: Anti-inflammatory effects of thymoquinone; Apoptosis and natural products; Cancer therapy and chemoprevention; Inflammation and cancer; Thymoquinione as antioxidant supplement; Thymoquinone from black cumin seeds