Molecular Mechanisms of Thymoquinone as Anticancer Agent

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment
11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

2.0K

Fatma Alhmied1, Ali Alammar2, Bayan Alsultan2

  • 1College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O BOX 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.

Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening
|October 29, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Thymoquinone (TQ), from Nigella Sativa seeds, shows potent anti-cancer effects by targeting oncogenic pathways and inducing cell cycle arrest. Its concentration dictates the specific cell cycle phase targeted for cancer management.

Area of Science:

  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Thymoquinone (TQ) is a key bioactive compound derived from Nigella Sativa seeds.
  • TQ is recognized for its potential in managing various cancer types.
  • Its therapeutic effects are linked to modulating multiple oncogenic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide mechanistic insights into the anticancer properties of thymoquinone.
  • To explore how TQ intervenes in cancer cell proliferation and survival.
  • To detail TQ's effects on cell cycle regulation in different cancer types.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on thymoquinone's anticancer mechanisms.
  • Analysis of TQ's impact on cell cycle phases (G1, S, G2) in cancer cells.
  • Investigation of TQ's effects on key proteins regulating cell cycle progression and apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • TQ inhibits cancer cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest, disrupting microtubule organization, and downregulating survival proteins.
  • TQ induces G1 phase arrest in breast, colon, and osteosarcoma cells by inhibiting cyclin E/D and upregulating p27/p21.
  • TQ concentration-dependently induces G2 or S phase arrest in specific cancer cell lines, such as MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • Thymoquinone exhibits significant anticancer potential through diverse molecular mechanisms.
  • TQ's ability to induce specific cell cycle arrests offers targeted therapeutic strategies.
  • Understanding TQ's concentration-dependent effects is crucial for optimizing its anticancer applications.
Keywords:
Thymoquinoneangiogenesiscell cycleinflammationinvasionmetastasisnigella sativaoxidative stress.

More Related Videos

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen19:44

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen

Published on: May 30, 2012

19.0K
Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling09:33

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling

Published on: March 20, 2018

14.1K

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
9.5K
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones01:17

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox...
4.1K
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II01:46

Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the main energy generation system in the eukaryotic cells. However, mitochondria also produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the large electron flow during oxidative phosphorylation. While Complex I is one of the primary sources of superoxide radicals, ROS production by Complex II is uncommon and may only be observed in cancer cells with mutated complexes.
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
17.5K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
5.4K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.2K
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
6.4K