s-allylmercaptocysteine and Neoplasms

Topics: Allium; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Blood Platelets; Cysteine; Disulfides; Fibrinolysis; Garlic; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Neoplasms; Obesity; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Solubility; Sulfoxides; Sulfur; Sulfur Compounds

While most types of malignancies remain recalcitrant to treatment, application of natural products or their analogs in daily life has offered some hopes as an effective prophylaxis against cancer onset and progression in the past decades. Emerging evidence supports a link between garlic consumption and decreased cancer incidence. Notably, aged garlic extract (AGE) exhibits stronger anti-cancer activities than that of fresh garlic, by virtue of enrichment of several AGE-specific organosulfur compounds, including S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC). In this review, we summarize the up-to-date mechanistic pathways associated with the anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and pro-apoptotic effects of SAMC in various cancer models. Based upon the proven safety and improved understanding on its anti-neoplastic properties, SAMC has gained recognition as a promising daily food supplement for cancer prevention or management.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Cysteine; Disease Models, Animal; Garlic; Humans; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Signal Transduction

Metastatic cancer is one of the main causes of cancer-related death since they rarely respond to available treatments. Recently, certain compounds isolated from the dietary supplement, garlic, have shown anti-proliferation effect on cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether certain garlic derivatives had any effect on the potentially invasive androgen-independent prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Using colony-forming, wound-closure as well as matrigel-invasion assays, we found that two main water-soluble constituents of the garlic, S-allylcysteine (SAC) and S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC), were able to suppress PCa cell proliferation and invasive abilities. This inhibitory effect was associated with induction of mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Most importantly, the SAC and SAMC treatment led to restoration of E-cadherin expression at transcription and protein levels. In contrast, the expression of E-cadherin repressor, Snail, was reduced in the SAC- and SAMC-treated cells. Furthermore, examination of cell lines from other types of cancer (ovarian, nasopharyngeal and esophageal carcinomas) also confirmed that the effect of SAC and SAMC on activation of E-cadherin might be a general effect on human cancer cells. Our results demonstrate a novel anticancer effect of garlic and suggest that certain garlic-derived compounds may be potential agents for suppression of invasive growth through restoration of E-cadherin expression in cancer cells.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cadherins; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Collagen; Cysteine; Drug Combinations; Drug Design; Garlic; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Laminin; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasms; Proteoglycans

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cell Division; Cysteine; Garlic; Humans; Neoplasms; Plants, Medicinal