Integrated Cellular and Molecular Interaction Analysis of Turmeric and Black Rice Bran Extract in HeLa Cells as a Potential Anticancer
Abstract
Cervical cancer continues to be a leading cause of female mortality due to multidrug resistance therapy associated with EGFR overexpression and evasion of apoptosis. Turmeric and black rice bran are recognized for their potential anticancer properties; however, the combined effects of these extracts and their predicted molecular interactions remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the potential enhanced effect of combined turmeric and black rice bran extracts using an integrated phenotypic and molecular docking approach. The antiproliferative effect of the combination of the ethanolic extract of turmeric and black rice bran was assessed in HeLa cells using the MTT assay, whereas cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry. Several compounds in turmeric and black rice bran extract were docked against the growth signaling protein (EGFR) and death receptors (BCL-2, DR-4). The optimal formulation (Combination 1) demonstrated a progressive reduction in HeLa cell viability from 61.02% at 24 hours to 47.88% at 48 hours, inducing a distinct G2/M phase arrest. This growth inhibition was accompanied by cell clearance through early apoptosis (38.57%) and secondary necrosis (28.03%). Molecular docking supported these findings by suggesting that bisdemethoxycurcumin may interact with EGFR, with a binding affinity of -7.6 kcal/mol. Compounds derived from black rice bran were also predicted to complementarily target BCL-2 and DR-4, suggesting a potential multi-target mechanism. In summary, the combination extract demonstrates both growth signaling inhibition and apoptotic induction, offering a promising baseline for further validation in in vivo models.
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