Phyllanthus emblica Exerts Therapeutic Potential in Oral Cancer Through Multiple Pathways
Journal
eFood
Journal Volume
7
Journal Issue
2
Start Page
e70142
ISSN
2666-3066
Date Issued
2026-03-19
Author(s)
Lin, Tai‐Pei
Chang, Chan‐Hua
Hsiao, Kuan‐Chung
Chen, Yen‐Lin
Lai, Jui‐Sheng
Yang, Wen‐Chan
Cheng, Ann‐Joy
Chen, Yin‐Ju
Yang, Chiou‐Ying
Huang, Meng‐Yuan
Liu, Ko‐Jiunn
Abstract
Oral cancer represents a significant global health burden owing to the limitations of current therapeutic approaches, including adverse effects and drug resistance. Phytochemicals have gained increasing attention as promising anticancer agents with multi-target effects and low toxicity. This study evaluated the anticancer potential of Phyllanthus emblica water extract (PEWE) using in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro, PEWE exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of DOK and OECM-1 oral cancer cell proliferation while sparing non-cancerous CGHNK2 cells. PEWE significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion, induced S-phase cell cycle arrest, and promoted apoptosis associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the induction of autophagy as evidenced by increased LC3 expression, decreased p62 levels, and upregulation of Rab7. RNA sequencing revealed significant modulation of key autophagy-related genes, including ITPR1, AMBRA1, and MAP1LC3B. In vivo, PEWE effectively inhibited tumor growth in xenograft and carcinogen-induced mouse oral cancer models without any apparent systemic toxicity. These findings demonstrate that PEWE exerts anticancer effects through a coordinated mechanism involving cell cycle disruption, apoptosis, and autophagy, highlighting its potential as a novel and less toxic therapeutic agent for oral cancer.
Subjects
apoptosis
autophagy
phytochemical
RNA sequence
xenograft model
Publisher
Wiley
Description
Article number e70142
Type
journal article