Health promoting properties of cinnamon

Cynamon to nie tylko powszechnie znana przyprawa, ale również stosowany od wieków w różnych zakątkach świata środek leczniczy. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono krótki przegląd informacji na temat prozdrowotnych właściwości cynamonu. W medycynie ludowej cynamon stosowany był głównie jako lekarstwo na dolegliwości układu pokarmowego, antyseptyk, środek przeciwbólowy i wzmacniający organizm, jak również jako lek na przeziębienia. Współcześnie lista prozdrowotnych właściwości cynamonu znacznie się rozszerzyła. Obecnie najwięcej badań prowadzonych jest nad możliwością wykorzystania samego cynamonu lub jego ekstraktów bądź też izolowanych z nich związków w leczeniu cukrzycy, nowotworów i chorób sercowo-naczyniowych. Rozważa się również możliwość wykorzystania cynamonu w terapii Alzheimera.Cinnamon is not only a commonly known spice, but also a medicinal agent which has been used for ages in various parts of the world. A brief overview of information concerning the health promoting properties of cinnamon is presented. In traditional medicine, cinnamon was mostly used as a remedy for digestive ailments as well as an antiseptic, analgesic, agent reinforcing the body and a remedy for colds. Nowadays, the list of cinnamon pro-health properties has significantly expanded. Currently, most studies concern the possibility of using cinnamon or its extracts or compounds isolated from them in the treatment of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The possibility of using cinnamon in Alzheimer disease therapy is also considered

Alpha Ketoglutarate Exerts In Vitro Anti-Osteosarcoma Effects through Inhibition of Cell Proliferation, Induction of Apoptosis via the JNK and Caspase 9-Dependent Mechanism, and Suppression of TGF-β and VEGF Production and Metastatic Potential of Cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of primary bone tumor. Currently, there are limited treatment options for metastatic OS. Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), i.e., a multifunctional intermediate of the Krebs cycle, is one of the central metabolic regulators of tumor fate and plays an important role in cancerogenesis and tumor progression. There is growing evidence suggesting that AKG may represent a novel adjuvant therapeutic opportunity in anti-cancer therapy. The present study was intended to check whether supplementation of Saos-2 and HOS osteosarcoma cell lines (harboring a TP53 mutation) with exogenous AKG exerted an anti-cancer effect. The results revealed that AKG inhibited the proliferation of both OS cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. As evidenced by flow cytometry, AKG blocked cell cycle progression at the G1 stage in both cell lines, which was accompanied by a decreased level of cyclin D1 in HOS and increased expression of p21Waf1/Cip1 protein in Saos-2 cells (evaluated with the ELISA method). Moreover, AKG induced apoptotic cell death and caspase-3 activation in both OS cell lines (determined by cytometric analysis). Both the immunoblotting and cytometric analysis revealed that the AKG-induced apoptosis proceeded predominantly through activation of an intrinsic caspase 9-dependent apoptotic pathway and an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The apoptotic process in the AKG-treated cells was mediated via c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activation, as the specific inhibitor of this kinase partially rescued the cells from apoptotic death. In addition, the AKG treatment led to reduced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and significant inhibition of cell migration and invasion in vitro concomitantly with decreased production of pro-metastatic transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in both OS cell lines suggesting the anti-metastatic potential of this compound. In conclusion, we showed the anti-osteosarcoma potential of AKG and provided a rationale for a further study of the possible application of AKG in OS therapy