Metabolomics and network pharmacology–guided analysis of TNF-a expression by Argemone mexicana (Linn) targeting NF-kB the signalling pathway in cancer cell lines - Original Research

Sep 21, 2026

Study evaluates cancer-preventive potential of Argemone mexicana Linn leaves extract using skin (A431) and colon (COLO 320DM) cancer cell lines. Metabolomics via LC/MS suggests anticancer alkaloids including berberine, atropine, argemexicin, and argemonin. Network pharmacology employs BindingDB, STRING, DAVID, and KEGG and links enrichment to PI3-AKT signaling. TNF-a and NF-kB pathway analyses show ethanolic extract reduces TNF-a expression and suppresses NF-kB regulation, consistent with reduced cancer cell proliferation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages15

Reading Time38 min

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TYPE Original Research PUBLISHED 02 December 2024 DOI 10.3389/fonc.2024.1502819 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Sandip Patil, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, China REVIEWED BY Manzar Alam, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States Bhupinder Kumar, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, India *CORRESPONDENCE Anjana Goel [anjana.goel@gla.ac.in](anjana.goel@gla.ac.in)[ ](anjana.goel@gla.ac.in)Kow-Tong Chen [ktchen@mail.ncku.edu.tw](ktchen@mail.ncku.edu.tw) RECEIVED 27 September 2024 ACCEPTED 04 November 2024 PUBLISHED 02 December 2024 CITATION Kulshrestha S, Goel A, Banerjee S, Sharma R, Khan MR and Chen K-T (2024) Metabolomicsand network pharmacology–guided analysis of TNF-a expression by Argemone mexicana (Linn) targeting NF-kB the signalling pathway in cancer cell lines. Front. Oncol. 14:1502819 . doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1502819 COPYRIGHT © 2024 Kulshrestha, Goel, Banerjee, Sharma, Khan and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Metabolomics and network pharmacology–guided analysis of TNF-a expression by Argemone mexicana (Linn) targeting NF-kB the signalling pathway in cancer cell lines Sunanda Kulshrestha 1, Anjana Goel 1*, Subhadip Banerjee 2, Rohit Sharma 3, Mohammad Rashid Khan 4 and Kow-Tong Chen 5,6* 1 Department of Biotechnology, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2School of Natural Products Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 3 Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, 4 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 5 Department of Occupational Medicine, Tainan Municipal Hospital (managed by ShowChwan Medical Care Corporation), Tainan, Taiwan, 6 Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan Introduction: Cancer has emerged as one of the leading causes of fatality all over the world. Phytoconstituents are being studied for their synergistic effects, which include disease prevention by altering molecular pathways and immunomodulation without side effects. The present experiment aims to explore the cancer preventive activities of Argemone mexicana Linn leaves extract in skin cancer cell lines (A431) and colon cancer cell lines (COLO 320DM)) . In addition, TNF-a expression patterns and NF-kB signaling pathways have been examined. Methods: LC/MS study of Argemone mexicana Linn extracts in various solvents revealed anti-cancerous phytoconstituents. Network pharmacology analysis used Binding DB, STRING, DAVID, and KEGG for data mining to evaluate predicted compounds using functional annotation analysis. Cytoscape 3 .2.1 created “neighbourhood approach” and networks. The MNTD of these extracts was tested on L929 ﬁbroblasts. Skin cancer (A431) and colon cancer (COLO 320DM) cell lines were tested for IC50 inhibition. Evaluation of TNF-a and NF-kB expression in cell culture supernatants and homogenates reveals anticancerous effects. Results: LC-MS analysis of extracts predicted the presence of anticancer alkaloids Berberine, Atropine, Argemexicin, and Argemonin. In Network pharmacology analysis, enrichment was linked to the PI3-AKT pathway for both cancer types. MNTD was calculated at 1000mg/ml in L929 . The ethanolic extract at 1000mg/ml signiﬁcantly inhibited skin cancer cell proliferation by 67% and colon cancer cells by 75% . Ethanolic extract signiﬁcantly reduced TNF-a expression in both cell line

FAQs

What cancer models and extract were used in the study?

The study used skin cancer cells (A431) and colon cancer cells (COLO 320DM) and tested Argemone mexicana Linn leaves extracts, including ethanolic preparations.

How was the metabolomics component performed?

LC/MS analysis of the extracts in various solvents was used to predict anticancer phytoconstituents.

Which pathway was highlighted in network pharmacology analysis?

Enrichment analysis in network pharmacology linked findings to the PI3-AKT pathway for both cancer types.

What evidence connects the extract to TNF-a and NF-kB regulation?

Ethanolic extract significantly reduced TNF-a expression in both cell lines and, in TNF-a stimulated conditions, significantly inhibited NF-kB pathway regulation, reducing cancer cell proliferation.

Sep 21, 2026

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