Effects of a Chlorogenic Acid-Containing Herbal Medicine (LASNB) on Colon Cancer

Abstract

Background. Plant polyphenols, which contain phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid (CGA), can be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and have gained increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we explored a novel CGA-containing herbal medicine named LASNB, which was extracted from Lonicera japonica Thunb., Agrimonia eupatoria L., and Scutellaria barbata D.Don. Methods. CGA in LASNB was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The biological functions and molecular mechanisms of LASNB were investigated in colon cancer cell lines (HCT116, HCT15, and CT26), a normal colon cell line (NCM460), and a CT26 xenograft model. To assess safety, hematological toxicity and pathology of the liver, kidney, and lung were evaluated. Results. LASNB suppressed HCT116, HCT15, and CT26 colon cancer progression by inhibiting proliferation capacity, promoting cell apoptosis, and suppressing cell migration both in vitro and in vivo. Investigation into the underlying molecular mechanism indicated that LASNB suppressed the activation of receptor tyrosine kinase-(RTK-) MEK-ERK and NF-B pathways. With regard to safety, slight interstitial vascular congestion in the lung was observed, but no severe pathological or hematological toxicity was detected. Conclusions. We found that LASNB suppressed the progression of colon cancer via the RTK-MEK-ERK and NF-B pathways, with no severe toxicity observed. Therefore, LASNB has the potential to be used as a supplementary herbal medicine for the treatment of colon cancer.