Cancer Preventive and Curative Attributes of Plants of the Cactaceae Family: A Review

Abstract

The ever-increasing occurrence of cancer and the severe side effects and limited efficacy of current cancer chemotherapy based on chemical drugs shift the attention toward drugs of plant origin. The Cactaceae family comprises more than 1500 species, but until recently only a few of them have been tested for their chemopreventive and anticancer attributes, leaving a wide unexplored area still waiting for researchers to investigate. Considering this fact, and also the promising results obtained with the relatively few plants of this family already tested, it should justly be expected that some plants of the Cactaceae family yet unexplored might possess outstanding anticancer attributes, exceeding those displayed by the plants already tested. This review presents in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence on cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of bioactive phytoconstituents and extracts derived from cactus plants. It also examines the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the antineoplastic effects of plants of the Cactaceae family. Current limitation and future directions of research towards effective use of cacti to develop efficient and side effect-free future cancer-preventive and anticancer drugs are also discussed.

Key words

Cactaceae - cactus - chemoprevention - anticancer effects - antioxidant - apoptosis

• References

• 1 Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, Ferlay J, Ward E, Forman D. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 2011; 61: 69-90
• 2 David AR, Zimmerman MR. Cancer: an old disease, a new disease or something in between?. Nat Rev Cancer 2010; 10: 728-733
• 3 Harlev E, Nevo E, Lansky EP, Lansky S, Bishayee A. Anticancer attributes of desert plants: a review. Anticancer Drugs 2012; 33: 255-271
• 4 Harlev E, Nevo E, Lansky EP, Ofir R, Bishayee A. Anticancer potential of aloes: antioxidant, antiproliferative and immunostimulatory attributes. Planta Med 2012; 78: 843-852
• 5 Harlev E, Nevo E, Mirsky N, Ofir R. Antidiabetic attributes of desert and steppic plants: a review. Planta Med 2013; 79: 425-436
• 6 Zou D, Brewer M, Garcia F, Feugang JM, Wang J, Zang R, Liu H, Zou C. Cactus pear: a natural product in cancer chemoprevention. Nutr J 2005; 4: 25
• 7 Knishinsky R. Prickly pear cactus medicine. Rochester: Healing Arts Press; 1971
• 8 Kay MA. Healing with plants in the American and Mexican West. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press; 1996
• 9 Cornett J. How Indians used desert plants. Palm Springs: Nature Trails Press; 2000
• 10 Galati EM, Mondello MR, Giuffrida D, Dugo G, Miceli N, Pergolizzi S, Taviano MF. Chemical characterization and biological effects of Sicilian Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. fruit juice: antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activity. J Agric Food Chem 2003; 51: 4903-4908
• 11 Feugang JM, Konarski P, Zou D, Stintzing FC, Zou C. Nutritional and medicinal use of Cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) cladodes and fruits. Front Biosci 2006; 11: 2574-2589
• 12 El Gharras H. Cactus pear juice: a source of multiple nutraceutical and functional components. In: Scardina PG, editor Fruit juices. New York: Nova Science Publishers; 2009: 79-105
• 13 Chavez-Santoscoy RA, Gutierrez-Uribe JA, Serna-Saldivar SO. Phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity and in vitro cancer cell cytotoxicity of nine prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) juices. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2009; 64: 146-152
• 14 Feugang JM, Ye F, Zhang DY, Yu Y, Zhong M, Zhang S, Zou C. Cactus pear extracts induce reactive oxygen species production and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Nutr Cancer 2010; 62: 692-699
• 15 Pavokovic P, Krsnic-Rasol M. Complex biochemistry and biotechnological production of betanins. Food Technol Biotechnol 2011; 49: 145-155
• 16 Sreekanth D, Arunasree MK, Karnati R, Roy T, Chandramohan R, Reddy GV, Pallu R. Betanin, a betacyanin pigment purified from fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica induces apoptosis in human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line-K562. Phytomedicine 2007; 14: 739-746
• 17 Yoon JA, Hahm SW, Park J, Son YS. Total polyphenol and flavonoid of fruit extract of Opuntia humifusa and its inhibitory effect on the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Hanʼguk Sikpʼum Yongyang Kwahak Hoechi 2009; 38: 1679-1684
• 18 Hahm SW, Park J, Son YS. Opuntia humifusa partitioned extracts inhibit the growth of U87MG human glioblastoma cells. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2010; 65: 247-252
• 19 Chen-feng J, Xiang Z, Shi-yong G, Yu-bin J. Effects of three kinds of cactus polysaccharide on human cancer by MTT. Harbin Shangye Daxue Xuebao, Ziran Kexueban 2004; 20: 383-386
• 20 Brahmi D, Ayed Y, Bouaziz C, Zourgui L, Hassen W, Hassen BH. Hepatoprotective effect of cactus extract against carcinogenicity of benzo(a)pyrene on liver of Balb/C mice. J Med Plants Res 2011; 5: 4627-4639
• 21 Brahmi D, Bouaziz C, Ayed Y, Ben Mansour H, Zourgui L, Bacha H. Chemopreventive effect of cactus Opuntia ficus-indica on oxidative stress and genotoxicity of aflatoxin B1. Nutr Metab 2011; 8: 1-16
• 22 Brahmi D, Ayed Y, Hfaiedh M, Ben Mansour H, Bouaziz C, Zourgui L, Bacha H. Protective effect of cactus cladode extract against cisplatin induced oxidative stress, genotoxicity and apoptosis in balb/c mice: combination with phytochemical composition. BMC Complement Altern Med 2012; 12: 111
• 23 Lee JA, Jung BG, Lee BJ. Inhibitory effects of Opuntia humifusa on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 12-O-tetradecanoylphobol-13-acetate induced two-stage skin carcinogenesis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2012; 13: 4655-4660
• 24 Tan ML, Sulaiman SF, Najimuddin N, Samian MR, Tengku MTS. Methanolic extract of Pereskia bleo induces apoptosis in breast carcinoma (T-47D) cell line. J Ethnopharmacol 2005; 96: 287-294
• 25 Sidik NJ, Norihan MS, Shafii K. In vitro culture of Pereskia bleo . Acta Horticult 2009; 829: 99-104
• 26 Er HM, Cheng E, Radhakrishnan AK. Anti-proliferative and mutagenic activities of aqueous and methanol extracts of leaves from Pereskia bleo (Kunth) DC leaves. J Ethnopharmacol 2007; 113: 448-456
• 27 Sri Nurestri AM, Northanom AW, Hashim Y, Shi S, Sok LH, Lee GS, Syarifah NSAR. Cytotoxic activity of Pereskia bleo (Cactaceae) against selected human cell lines. Int J Cancer Res 2008; 4: 20-27
• 28 Malek SN, Shin SK, Wahab NA, Yaacob H. Cytotoxic components of Pereskia bleo (Kunth) DC. (Cactaceae) leaves. Molecules 2009; 14: 1713-1724
• 29 Sim KS, Sri Nurestri AM, Norhanom AW. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Pereskia grandifolia Haw. (Cactaceae) extracts. Pharmacogn Mag 2010; 6: 248-254
• 30 Sri Nurestri AM, Sim KS, Northanom AW. Phytochemical and cytotoxic investigations of Pereskia grandifolia Haw. (Cactaceae) leaves. J Biol Sci 2009; 9: 488-493
• 31 Liew SY, Stanbridge EJ, Yusoff K, Shafee N. Hypoxia affects cellular responses to plant extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 2012; 144: 453-456
• 32 Kim H, Choi HK, Moon JY, Kim YS, Mosaddik A, Cho SK. Comparative antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of red and white pitayas and their correlation with flavonoid and polyphenol content. J Food Sci 2011; 76: C38-C45
• 33 Wu LC, Hsu HW, Chen YC, Chiu CC, Lin YI, Ho JA. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of red pitaya. Food Chem 2006; 95: 319-327
• 34 Jayakumar R, Kanthimathi MS. Inhibitory effects of fruit extracts on nitric oxide-induced proliferation in MCF-7 cells. Food Chem 2011; 126: 956-960
• 35 Kim SM, Choi HJ, Kim YS. Anticancer composition containing extract of Hylocereus undatus as active ingredient. Repub Korean Kongkae Taeho Kongbo KR Patent 2012; 008370 A 2012013; 2012
• 36 Salazar JR, Martinez-Vazquez M, Cespedes CL, Ramirez-Apan T, Nieto-Camacho A, Rodriguez-Silverio J, Flores-Murrieta F. Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of chichipegenin, peniocerol, and macdougallin isolated from Myrtillocactus geometrizans . J Biosci 2011; 66: 24-30
• 37 Yetman D. The organ pipe cactus. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press; 2006
• 38 Kinoshita K, Yang Y, Koyama K, Takahashi K, Nishino H. Inhibitory effect of some triterpenes from cacti on Pi-incorporation into phospholipids of HeLa cells promoted by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Phytomedicine 1999; 6: 73-77
• 39 Nugent J. Permaculture plants agaves and cacti. Nannup: The Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute; 1999
• 40 Karimi N, Kianamiri S, Mousavi E, Barkhordar M. Study of genotype effect, different media and time of explanting on callus induction in Cereus peruvianus Mill. (Cactaceae). Trakia J Sci 2012; 10: 19-22
• 41 Guo LP. Review on extraction, structure and bioactivity of polysaccharides from cactus cladode. Zhongguo Shipin Tianjiaji 2010; 3: 185-189
• 42 Li YJ, Lai YH. Cactus biological functions and its pharmacological effects. Beihua Daxue Xuebao Ziran Kexueban 2007; 8: 228-231
• 43 Beltran JFR. Process for extracting and manufacturing cactus juice. Mex Pat Application MX 2008007250 A 20091207; 2009.
• 44 Wu D, Wei B, Wang S, Sun HX, Xin Y, Zhang CL. The inhibiting effect of wild cactus polysaccharide on lung squamous carcinoma cells (SK-MES-1). Xiandai Shengwuyixue Jinzhan 2012; 12: 1651-1654
• 45 Liang B, Liu H, Cao J. Antitumor effect of polysaccharides from cactus pear fruit in S180-bearing mice. Ai Zhang 2008; 27: 580-584
• 46 Ji CF, Zou X, Gao SY, Ji YB. Study on antitumor effect of three kinds of cactus polysaccharide. Harbin Shangye Daxue Xuebao Ziran Kexueban 2004; 20: 127-130
• 47 Ji YB, Ji CF, Zou X, Gao SY. Study on the effects of two kinds of cactus polysaccharide on erythrocyte immune function of S180 mice. China J Chin Mater Med 2005; 30: 690-693
• 48 Hu QL, Feng ZU. Effects of two cactus polysaccharides on membrane lipid fluidity of S180 tumor-bearing mice. Zhongguo Xiandai Zhongyao 2006; 8: 17-19