Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034

Review

. 2023 Mar 20:14:1154034.

doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034. eCollection 2023.

Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management

Pratibha Pandey¹, Fahad Khan¹, Nawaf Alshammari^{2

3}, Amir Saeed^{4

3}, Farrukh Aqil⁵, Mohd Saeed^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
² Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
³ Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Medicine and Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.

PMID: 37021043
PMCID: PMC10067574
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034

Review

Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management

Pratibha Pandey et al. Front Pharmacol. 2023.

. 2023 Mar 20:14:1154034.

doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Pratibha Pandey¹, Fahad Khan¹, Nawaf Alshammari^{2

3}, Amir Saeed^{4

3}, Farrukh Aqil⁵, Mohd Saeed^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
² Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
³ Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Therapeutics Unit, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Medicine and Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.

PMID: 37021043
PMCID: PMC10067574
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) possesses numerous pharmacological potential, including antibacterial, antiarthritic, antithrombotic, anticancer, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. The anti-cancer action of garlic is likely the best researched of the many advantageous pharmacological effects, and its use offers significant protection against the risk of developing cancer. A few active metabolites of garlic have been reported to be essential in the destruction of malignant cells due to their multi-targeted activities and lack of significant toxicity. The bioactive compounds in garlic having anticancer properties include diallyl trisulfide, allicin, allyl mercaptan diallyl disulfide, and diallyl sulphide. Different garlic-derived constituents and their nanoformulations have been tested for their effects against various cancers including skin, ovarian, prostate, gastric, breast, and lung, colorectal, liver, oral, and pancreatic cancer. The objective of this review is to summarize the antitumor activity and associated mechanisms of the organosulfur compounds of garlic in breast carcinoma. Breast cancer continues to have a significant impact on the total number of cancer deaths worldwide. Global measures are required to reduce its growing burden, particularly in developing nations where incidence is increasing quickly and fatality rates are still high. It has been demonstrated that garlic extract, its bioactive compounds, and their use in nanoformulations can prevent breast cancer in all of its stages, including initiation, promotion, and progression. Additionally, these bioactive compounds affect cell signaling for cell cycle arrest and survival along with lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide synthase activity, epidermal growth factor receptor, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and protein kinase C in breast carcinoma. Hence, this review deciphers the anticancer potential of garlic components and its nanoformulations against several breast cancer thereby projecting it as a potent drug candidate for efficient breast cancer management.

Keywords: cancer; drug delivery; garlic; molecular mechanism; nanoformulations; organosulfur compounds; plant therapeutics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Proposed pathway for garlic induced apoptosis in breast cancer.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. Ahamed M., Akhtar M. J., Khan M. M., Alhadlaq H. A. (2022). Facile green synthesis of ZnO-RGO nanocomposites with enhanced anticancer efficacy. Methods 199, 28–36. 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.04.020 - DOI - PubMed
1. Altonsy M. O., Habib T. N., Andrews S. C. (2012). Diallyl disulfide-induced apoptosis in a breast-cancer cell line (MCF-7) may be caused by inhibition of histone deacetylation. Nutr. cancer 64 (8), 1251–1260. 10.1080/01635581.2012.721156 - DOI - PubMed
1. Amagase H., Petesch B. L., Matsuura H., Kasuga S., Itakura Y. (2001). Intake of garlic and its bioactive components. J. Nutr. 131 (3), 955S–962S. 10.1093/jn/131.3.955S - DOI - PubMed
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[1] Ahamed M., Akhtar M. J., Khan M. M., Alhadlaq H. A. (2022). Facile green synthesis of ZnO-RGO nanocomposites with enhanced anticancer efficacy. Methods 199, 28–36. 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.04.020 - DOI - PubMed

[2] Ahamed M., Akhtar M. J., Khan M. M., Alhadlaq H. A. (2022). Facile green synthesis of ZnO-RGO nanocomposites with enhanced anticancer efficacy. Methods 199, 28–36. 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.04.020 - DOI - PubMed

[3] Altonsy M. O., Habib T. N., Andrews S. C. (2012). Diallyl disulfide-induced apoptosis in a breast-cancer cell line (MCF-7) may be caused by inhibition of histone deacetylation. Nutr. cancer 64 (8), 1251–1260. 10.1080/01635581.2012.721156 - DOI - PubMed

[4] Altonsy M. O., Habib T. N., Andrews S. C. (2012). Diallyl disulfide-induced apoptosis in a breast-cancer cell line (MCF-7) may be caused by inhibition of histone deacetylation. Nutr. cancer 64 (8), 1251–1260. 10.1080/01635581.2012.721156 - DOI - PubMed

[5] Amagase H., Petesch B. L., Matsuura H., Kasuga S., Itakura Y. (2001). Intake of garlic and its bioactive components. J. Nutr. 131 (3), 955S–962S. 10.1093/jn/131.3.955S - DOI - PubMed

[6] Amagase H., Petesch B. L., Matsuura H., Kasuga S., Itakura Y. (2001). Intake of garlic and its bioactive components. J. Nutr. 131 (3), 955S–962S. 10.1093/jn/131.3.955S - DOI - PubMed

[7] Ansary J., Forbes-Hernández T. Y., Gil E., Cianciosi D., Zhang J., Elexpuru-Zabaleta M., et al. (2020). Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: A brief overview. Antioxidants 9 (7), 619. 10.3390/antiox9070619 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Ansary J., Forbes-Hernández T. Y., Gil E., Cianciosi D., Zhang J., Elexpuru-Zabaleta M., et al. (2020). Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: A brief overview. Antioxidants 9 (7), 619. 10.3390/antiox9070619 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Basmadjian C., Zhao Q., Bentouhami E., Djehal A., Nebigil C. G., Johnson R. A., et al. (2014). Cancer wars: Natural products strike back. Front. Chem. 2, 20. 10.3389/fchem.2014.00020 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Basmadjian C., Zhao Q., Bentouhami E., Djehal A., Nebigil C. G., Johnson R. A., et al. (2014). Cancer wars: Natural products strike back. Front. Chem. 2, 20. 10.3389/fchem.2014.00020 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management

Affiliations

Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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