Summary:
Colorectal cancer is a common and serious disease, and while early detection improves outcomes, advanced stages remain difficult to treat. Standard chemotherapy can be effective but is associated with significant side effects and limited long-term use. This has led to increasing interest in identifying treatments that are more targeted and better tolerated. Natural health products are being explored as potential adjunct therapies due to their availability and historical use, although many lack strong scientific validation. Some compounds derived from plants have demonstrated anti-cancer properties, and there is growing interest in understanding their effects, both alone and in combination with conventional treatments. This study is a preclinical experimental study that investigated the effects of lemongrass extract on colorectal cancer using cell models and animal models. The findings showed that the extract induced cancer cell death in human colorectal cancer cells without harming normal cells. In animal models, oral administration reduced tumour growth and was well tolerated. When combined with standard chemotherapy, the extract enhanced treatment effects and reduced treatment-related weight loss. In a genetic mouse model predisposed to intestinal tumours, the extract also reduced tumour development, suggesting a potential preventative effect. This study therefore indicates that lemongrass extract may have both therapeutic and preventative potential in colorectal cancer, particularly as a complementary approach alongside existing treatments.
Abstract:
Current chemotherapeutics for metastatic colorectal cancers have limited success and are extremely toxic due to nonselective targeting. Some natural extracts have been traditionally taken and have shown anticancer activity. These extracts have multiple phytochemicals that can target different pathways selectively in cancer cells. We have shown previously that lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) extract is effective at inducing cell death in human lymphomas. However, the efficacy of lemongrass extract on human colorectal cancer has not been investigated. Furthermore, its interactions with current chemotherapies for colon cancer is unknown. In this article, we report the anticancer effects of ethanolic lemongrass extract in colorectal cancer models, and importantly, its interactions with FOLFOX and Taxol. Lemongrass extract induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells in a time and dose-dependent manner without harming healthy cells in vitro. Oral administration of lemongrass extract was well tolerated and effective at inhibiting colon cancer xenograft growth in mice. It enhanced the anticancer efficacy of FOLFOX and, interestingly, inhibited FOLFOX-related weight loss in animals given the combination treatment. Furthermore, feeding lemongrass extract to APCmin/+ transgenic mice led to the reduction of intestinal tumors, indicating its preventative potential. Therefore, this natural extract has potential to be developed as a supplemental treatment for colorectal cancer.
Article Publication Date: 17/12/2019
DOI: 10.1177/1534735419889150
