The Anti-Tumor Effects of Oenothera odorata Extract Are Mediated by Inhibition of Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration in Cancer Cells

Abstract

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell division and is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Oenothera odorata (O. odorata) extract is used in herbal medicine to inhibit inflammation, but its potential anti-tumor properties have not been fully evaluated. Here, we demonstrated that O. odorata extract inhibits the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma cell lines In Vitro, and also inhibits the growth of melanoma cells In Vivo. After partitioning the extract with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol, it was found that the butanol-soluble (OOB) and water-soluble (OOW) fractions of O. odorata extract are effective at inhibiting tumor cell growth In Vivo although OOW is more effective than OOB. Interestingly, these fractions did not inhibit the growth of non-cancerous cells. The anti-proliferative effects of the OOW fraction were found to be mediated by inhibition of glycolysis and cellular respiration. UPLC of both fractions showed two major common peaks, which were predicted to be hydrolyzable tannin-related compounds. Taken together, these data suggest that O. odorata extract has anti-tumor properties, and the molecular mechanism involves metabolic alterations and inhibition of cell proliferation. O. odorata extract therefore holds promise as a novel natural product for the treatment of cancer.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea under Grant [NRF-2016R1A2B4007539 to U.H.H; NRF-2016R1D1A3B03931840 to H.S.J]; Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development under Grant [PJ01323004 to H.S.J]; and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of Republic of Korea under the KRIBB Research Initiative Program.