Evening Primrose Oil Improves Chemotherapeutic Effects in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines-A Preclinical Study

Laura Zeppa; Cristina Aguzzi; Giorgia Versari; Margherita Luongo; Maria Beatrice Morelli; Federica Maggi; Consuelo Amantini; Giorgio Santoni; Oliviero Marinelli; Massimo Nabissi

doi:10.3390/ph15040466

Evening Primrose Oil Improves Chemotherapeutic Effects in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines-A Preclinical Study

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Apr 12;15(4):466. doi: 10.3390/ph15040466.

Authors

Laura Zeppa^{1

2}, Cristina Aguzzi^{1

2}, Giorgia Versari¹, Margherita Luongo³, Maria Beatrice Morelli^{1

2}, Federica Maggi⁴, Consuelo Amantini⁴, Giorgio Santoni¹, Oliviero Marinelli^{1

2}, Massimo Nabissi^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy.
² Integrative Therapy Discovery Lab, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy.
³ "Maria Guarino" Foundation-AMOR No Profit Association, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy.
⁴ School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy.

Abstract

Evening Primrose oil (EPO), obtained from the seeds of Evening Primrose (Oenothera L.), is largely used as a dietary supplement, especially after cancer diagnosis. Human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease correlated with poor clinical prognosis and a very low response rate to common chemotherapy. The aim of this work was to study the potential ability of EPO to improve the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs in PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2 cell lines. Cytotoxicity, cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and EPO anticancer activity associated with the main chemotherapeutic drugs commonly used in therapy were investigated. Results showed that EPO reduced PDAC cell viability and increased paclitaxel efficacy. This evidence suggests that EPO may be used as a potential supplement to increase chemotherapeutic efficacy in PDAC therapy.

Keywords: Oenothera biennis; chemoresistance; cytotoxicity; evening primrose oil; human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; paclitaxel chemoresistance; pancreatic cancer.