Cancer Chemopreventive Activity of Maslinic Acid: Suppression of COX-2 Expression and Inhibition of NF-kappa B and AP-1 Activation in Raji Cells

Abstract

Chronic inflammation is one of the predisposing factors for neoplastic transformation. Targeting inflammation through suppression of the pro-inflammatory pathway by dietary phytochemicals provides an important strategy for cancer prevention. Maslinic acid is a novel natural triterpenoid known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in some tumor cell lines. Although maslinic acid has cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects on cancer cells, the underlying mechanisms of its effects on the inflammatory pathway have yet to be elucidated. It has been reported that abnormal expression of pro-inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) causes promotion of cellular proliferation, suppression of a..