The Role of Ayahuasca in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell Survival, Proliferation and Oxidative Stress.
Joana Gonçalves, Mariana Feijó, Sílvia Socorro, Ângelo Luís, Eugenia Gallardo, Ana Paula Duarte
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) June 2, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060719 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | In vitro study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Caco-2 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells |
| Intervention | Peganum harmala |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Caco-2 Apoptosis Cellular proliferation Oxidative stress Viability Ayahuasca DMT Yagé Cancer research oncology Cancer treatment Anti-cancer Cancer therapy Cell death |
| Key points | Decoctions of Mimosa hostilis and Peganum harmala, alone or combined, induced apoptosis and reduced proliferation in Caco-2 cells, while lowering oxidative stress and increasing glutathione peroxidase activity. |
Abstract
The psychedelic beverage ayahuasca is originally obtained by Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) (BC) and Psychotria viridis (P. viridis) (PV). However, sometimes these plant species are replaced by others that mimic the original effects, such as Mimosa hostilis (M. hostilis) (MH) and Peganum harmala (P. harmala) (PH). Its worldwide consumption and the number of studies on its potential therapeutic effects has increased. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer properties of ayahuasca in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Thus, the maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of decoctions of MH, PH, and a mixture of these (MHPH) was determined. The activities of caspases 3 and 9 were evaluated, and the cell proliferation index was determined through immunocytochemical analysis (Ki-67). Two fluorescent probes were used to evaluate the production of oxidative stress and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was also evaluated. It was demonstrated that exposure to the extracts significantly induced apoptosis in Caco-2 cells, while decreasing cell proliferation. MH and MHPH samples significantly reduced oxidative stress and significantly increased glutathione peroxidase activity. No significant differences were found in SOD activity. Overall, it was demonstrated that the decoctions have a potential anticancer activity in Caco-2 cells.