Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications

Cancers, particularly those resistant to treatment, stand as one of the most significant challenges in medicine. Frequently, available therapies need to be improved, underscoring the necessity for innovative treatment modalities. Over the years, there has been a resurgence of interest in natural pla...

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Main Authors: Jagoda Szkudlarek, Ludwika Piwowarczyk, Anna Jelińska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Antioxidants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/855
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author Jagoda Szkudlarek
Ludwika Piwowarczyk
Anna Jelińska
author_facet Jagoda Szkudlarek
Ludwika Piwowarczyk
Anna Jelińska
author_sort Jagoda Szkudlarek
collection DOAJ
description Cancers, particularly those resistant to treatment, stand as one of the most significant challenges in medicine. Frequently, available therapies need to be improved, underscoring the necessity for innovative treatment modalities. Over the years, there has been a resurgence of interest in natural plant substances, which have been traditionally overlooked as anticancer agents. A prime example of this is natural antioxidants, such as acteoside (ACT) and orientin (ORI), which offer novel approaches to cancer treatment, emphasizing liver cancer compared to other cancer types. They reduce oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and exhibit anticancer activity, e.g., decreasing Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL expression and increasing Bax levels. This review explores the individual effects of ACT and ORI and their synergistic interactions with sorafenib, temozolomide, 5-fluorouracil (for ACT), celecoxib, and curcumin (for ORI), highlighting their enhanced anticancer efficacy. In addition, ACT and ORI successfully integrate into various drug delivery systems (DDSs), including metal-containing carriers such as nanoparticles (NPs), nanoshells (NSs), quantum dots (QDs), and liposomes as representative examples of lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDSs). Advanced methods, including nanotechnology, offer potential solutions to low bioavailability, paving the way for the use of these substances in anticancer therapy.
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series Antioxidants
spelling doaj-art-c906cbfe16c545a28f722a02677b8fed2025-08-20T03:55:52ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-07-0114785510.3390/antiox14070855Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative ApplicationsJagoda Szkudlarek0Ludwika Piwowarczyk1Anna Jelińska2Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznań, PolandChair and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznań, PolandChair and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 3 Rokietnicka, 60-806 Poznań, PolandCancers, particularly those resistant to treatment, stand as one of the most significant challenges in medicine. Frequently, available therapies need to be improved, underscoring the necessity for innovative treatment modalities. Over the years, there has been a resurgence of interest in natural plant substances, which have been traditionally overlooked as anticancer agents. A prime example of this is natural antioxidants, such as acteoside (ACT) and orientin (ORI), which offer novel approaches to cancer treatment, emphasizing liver cancer compared to other cancer types. They reduce oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and exhibit anticancer activity, e.g., decreasing Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL expression and increasing Bax levels. This review explores the individual effects of ACT and ORI and their synergistic interactions with sorafenib, temozolomide, 5-fluorouracil (for ACT), celecoxib, and curcumin (for ORI), highlighting their enhanced anticancer efficacy. In addition, ACT and ORI successfully integrate into various drug delivery systems (DDSs), including metal-containing carriers such as nanoparticles (NPs), nanoshells (NSs), quantum dots (QDs), and liposomes as representative examples of lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDSs). Advanced methods, including nanotechnology, offer potential solutions to low bioavailability, paving the way for the use of these substances in anticancer therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/855acteosideverbascosideorientincancerantioxidantspolyphenols
spellingShingle Jagoda Szkudlarek
Ludwika Piwowarczyk
Anna Jelińska
Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
Antioxidants
acteoside
verbascoside
orientin
cancer
antioxidants
polyphenols
title Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
title_full Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
title_fullStr Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
title_full_unstemmed Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
title_short Antioxidants Acteoside and Orientin as Emerging Agents in Synergistic Cancer Therapy: A Focus on Innovative Applications
title_sort antioxidants acteoside and orientin as emerging agents in synergistic cancer therapy a focus on innovative applications
topic acteoside
verbascoside
orientin
cancer
antioxidants
polyphenols
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/855
work_keys_str_mv AT jagodaszkudlarek antioxidantsacteosideandorientinasemergingagentsinsynergisticcancertherapyafocusoninnovativeapplications
AT ludwikapiwowarczyk antioxidantsacteosideandorientinasemergingagentsinsynergisticcancertherapyafocusoninnovativeapplications
AT annajelinska antioxidantsacteosideandorientinasemergingagentsinsynergisticcancertherapyafocusoninnovativeapplications