Immunomodulatory and Apoptotic Effect of Cinnamaldehyde in HepG2 Cells

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), associated with various clinicopathological features such as genetic mutations and viral infections, is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. In Asia and Africa, the incidence of HCC is the highest. Half of all cases of HCC are associated with hepatitis B viral infection, with a further 25% associated with the hepatitis C virus. The most widely used drug against liver cancer is Doxorubicin as a single agent or in combination with other 9 chemotherapeutics like Cisplatin. Since the normal hepatocytes are affected by the subsisting conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, the outcomes remain considerably low. Therefore, the field is longing for the discovery of new therapeutic agents without hepatotoxicity or with low hepatotoxicity. Recent studies discovered that an α, β-unsaturated aromatic aldehyde has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and anti-apoptotic against the HepG2 cell line. This α, β-unsaturated aromatic aldehyde is cinnamaldehyde, an extensive component that is present in cinnamon essential oil and is also used as a flavoring agent in food, beverages, and perfume industries. Results showed that the cinnamaldehyde decreased the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner (MTT assay). We observed a significant increase in the levels of IL-1 β and a decrease in the levels of IL-10 after Cinnamaldehyde treatment. Cinnamaldehyde also increased the Caspase-3 activity in HepG2 cells significantly. The present study showed that cinnamaldehyde has strong potential as an anti-tumor agent against hepatocellular carcinoma cells.