The Protective Effects of Arbutin Against Colon Cancer: in Silico and in Vitro Studies

Background: After lung cancer, colon cancer is the second most prevalent cause of death globally and is one of the most common digestive cancers detected. Phytomedicines are strong substitutes for conventional drugs that have numerous adverse effects. Arbutin is a glycoside phytochemical derived from plants and is a member of the Ericaceae family. It has several pharmacological effects.Aim: This study aims to assess the toxic effect towards cancer cells and the anti-inflammatory effects of arbutin against the Caco-2 colon cancer cell line.Materials and methods: the materials used are Molecular docking of Arbutin with the Caspase-3 enzyme (PDB code: 2XYG), TNF-α (PDB code: 1TNF) and pharmacokinetic assessments through SwissADME. Arbutin cytotoxicity potential was assessed using an MTT assay on the Caco-2 colon cancer cell line. The effect of ARB on the gene expression of P53, Caspase-3, TNF-α, and NF-κB were evaluated using the real-time PCR method.‎Results: There was a cytotoxic effect of the arbutin against Caco-2 cells with a significant potential impact of arbutin with IC50 of 29.05 µg/ml. The gene expression analysis showed statistically significant differences regarding p53, Caspase-3, TNF-α, and NF-κB between control and expermiental groups (Control, 5FU, and Arbutin) (p<0.05).Conclusion: Regarding the previous findings, ARB revealed a potential ability to promote apoptosis in neoplastic cells and regulate the cell cycle. Further investigations are required to confirm our findings we ARB could be a promising anticancer agent.