The impact of apoptosis-inducing MAPK and glycolytic pathways modulated by Aloe vera and royal jelly in lung and colorectal cancer

Abstract

Lung and colon cancer are among the most commonly diagnosed and fatal cancer types in the world. Due to their metastatic properties, they complicate the treatment process and pose a great threat to human health. These aggressive types of cancer are resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Therefore, it is extremely important to investigate the therapeutic effects of natural compounds. In our previous study, effective doses of Royal Jelly (RJ) (100 mg/mL) and Aloe vera (AVE) (20 mu g/mL) were determined and tested separately and in combination on lung and colorectal cancer cells. Glycolytic capacities were determined using the Seahorse XFe24 Analyzer, total transcriptome profiles were sequenced using NovaSeq 6000, and BAX and BCL-2 gene levels were determined using RT-qPCR. It was seen that RJ and RJ + AVE affected glycolytic capacity and more genes in lung cancer cells. In HT29, AVE alone was seen to reduce glycolytic capacity and RJ + AVE combination was seen to reduce the expression level of genes related to cell proliferation and cycle. After RJ + AVE treatments, the apoptotic process which is triggered via MAPK pathway was found in lung cancer. Moreover, BAX levels increased and BCL-2 levels decreased both lung and colorectal cancer cells. It was observed that the combination of RJ and AVE affected the glycolysis process, cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis on lung and colorectal cancer. In particular, the combination of RJ + AVE was found to be more effective on lung cancer.