The therapeutic potential of Ziziphus jujuba in colorectal cancer: An in-vitro study

Pourali, Ghazaleh; Moetamani-Ahmadi, Mehrdad; Alaei, Maryam; Fiuji, Hamid; Maftooh, Dr. Mina; Khazaei, Majid; A. A. Ferns, Gordon; Hasanian Mehr, Seyed Mahdi; Avan, Amir

doi:10.22038/ajp.2025.26108

The therapeutic potential of Ziziphus jujuba in colorectal cancer: An in-vitro study

Document Type : Short communication

Authors

Ghazaleh Pourali ¹

Mehrdad Moetamani-Ahmadi ²

Maryam Alaei ³

Hamid Fiuji ²

Dr. Mina Maftooh ²

Majid Khazaei ⁴

Gordon A. A. Ferns ⁵

Seyed Mahdi Hasanian Mehr ⁶

Amir Avan ²

¹ Metabolic syndrome Research center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

² Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

³ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁴ Department of Physiology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁵ Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, University of Keele, Thornburrow Drive, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 7QB, UK

⁶ 1. Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22038/ajp.2025.26108

Abstract

Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common causes of death. Thus, identification of innovative therapeutic agents to increase the efficacy of current treatments is needed. The activity of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (Z. jujuba) has been reported in several malignancies. Here, we examined the therapeutic potential of Z. jujuba in CRC in vitro.
Materials and Methods: The anti-proliferative activity of extracted Z. jujuba (extracted via hydroalcoholic extraction method) was explored by MTT at 72 hr in CT-26 and SW-480 cells, while wound-healing assays was used to assess its anti-migratory effects t IC50 values of ~500 µg. The anti-tumor activity was investigated using a three-dimensional cell culture model, followed by RT-PCR after 72 hr, and LC/MSMS. Docking analysis was also performed to investigate the interactions between key Z. jujube compounds with target proteins.
Results: Z. jujuba suppressed cell proliferation and migration by the perturbation of CyclinD1/Survivin and E-cadherin/matrix metalloproteinase 9, respectively. Moreover, treatment of CRC cells with Z. jujuba was associated with a reduction in the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Moreover, Z. jujuba increased pro-apoptotic factors caspas3 and caspase9.
Conclusion: The results demonstrated the therapeutic potential of Z. jujuba in CRC through anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties, indicating its potential value in the treatment of CRC.

Keywords

Colorectal cancer Ziziphus jujube Treatments Anti

inflammatory effects

Subjects