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Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate worldwide. Eugenol possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) have been promising carriers for drug delivery. This study aimed to investigate the synergism effect of free eugenol/eugenol-MSN and cisplatin on the AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line. In this study, MSN was synthesized and loaded with eugenol. Cultured AGS cells were treated with different concentrations of free eugenol/eugenol-MSN individually and in combination with cisplatin. MTT assay, scratch assay, and flow cytometry were employed to assess cell viability, migration, and apoptosis. The antioxidant properties of free eugenol/eugenol-MSN and their effect on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were evaluated. Real-time PCR was used to study the effect of free eugenol/eugenol-MSN on the expression of metastatic pathway genes such as MMP2, MMP9, and KRAS, and some genes involved in apoptosis including caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9. A synergism effect of free eugenol/eugenol-MSN and cisplatin (CI < 1) was observed. Combination therapies were significantly more effective in cell growth reduction, migration inhibition, and apoptosis induction than single treatments. Free eugenol has more potential in DPPH radical scavenging, and eugenol-MSN has more potential in increasing SOD activity. The relative expression of caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 genes in the treated cells increased compared to the control group, and the expression of MMP2, MMP9, and KRAS oncogenes decreased significantly. Eugenol loading in MSN leads to increasing the sensitivity of cisplatin against gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of glycyrrhizic acid (GL) on the anticancer activity of cisplatin in A2780 ovarian cancer cells. Cultured A2780 cells were treated with different concentrations of GL and cisplatin individually and in combination. The MTT assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing, and clonogenic assay, were used to determine cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and colony formation, respectively. The effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were also evaluated. QPCR was used to study the effects of individual and combined treatments with GL and cisplatin on the expression levels of migration genes (MMP2 and MMP9), and some apoptosis pathway genes (caspase-3, −8, −9, and BCL2). A synergistic effect was observed between GL and cisplatin (CI < 1). Combination therapy was significantly more effective in reducing cell viability, suppressing migration and colony formation, inducing apoptosis, and altering gene expression compared to single therapies. GL significantly increased SOD activity. The relative expression of caspase −3, −8, and − 9 increased significantly, and the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 decreased significantly in the treated cells. Our results indicate that GL enhances the anticancer activity of cisplatin in the A2780 cell line. Therefore, the combination of GL and cisplatin can be proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer. • Glycyrrhizic acid enhances the anticancer activities of cisplatin in A2780 human ovarian cancer cell lines • the combination treatment glycyrrhizic acid and cisplatin was more potent in migration and colony formation inhibition. • Flow cytometry analysis showed the synergistic apoptotic effects of glycyrrhizic acid and cisplatin combination treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]