Lemongrass Extract/Citral / AntiBio Cancer Research Results

LGE, Lemongrass Extract/Citral: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
lemongrass extract/ Cymbopogon citratus / lemongrass essential oil

Promising in vitro and limited animal anticancer evidence, especially via ROS-mediated apoptosis and mitochondrial/cell-cycle effects. Citral likely is main active ingredient.

Lemongrass Extract/Citral — Lemongrass preparations are derived principally from the leaves of Cymbopogon citratus and may be prepared as aqueous or ethanolic extracts or as volatile essential oil. Citral (CIT) is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde and is usually the dominant constituent of lemongrass essential oil; chemically, citral is a mixture of the geometric isomers geranial (citral A) and neral (citral B). The database abbreviation LGE is appropriate for lemongrass extract, while CIT is preferable when the isolated compound is specifically studied. Essential-oil preparations can contain roughly 60–80% citral, but composition varies substantially with cultivar, plant tissue, extraction method, and geographic origin. Whole aqueous or ethanolic lemongrass extracts are not pharmacologically equivalent to purified citral because they contain additional terpenes and nonvolatile phytochemicals.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. ROS accumulation and oxidative stress in cancer cells, producing DNA damage and triggering mitochondrial apoptosis.
  2. Mitochondrial apoptotic signaling through ↓ mitochondrial membrane potential, ↑ Bax, ↓ Bcl-2/Bcl-xL, and ↑ caspase-3 activation; p53-dependent signaling is important in several models.
  3. ALDH1A3 inhibition, potentially suppressing cancer stem-cell phenotype, clonogenicity, retinoic-acid-linked transcription, and chemotherapy resistance.
  4. Microtubule disruption through inhibition of tubulin polymerization together with MARK4 inhibition, producing antiproliferative and cell-cycle effects.
  5. Suppression of proliferative and survival signaling including AKT, ERK1/2, and NF-κB in selected cancer models.
  6. Cell-cycle arrest, commonly G0/G1 or G1/S depending on model and preparation.
  7. Endoplasmic-reticulum stress and stress-associated autophagy in some p53-deficient cancer cells.
  8. Chemosensitization, including enhanced effects of doxorubicin, docetaxel, FOLFOX-associated drugs, paclitaxel, and other cytotoxics in preclinical models; transporter effects including MDR1/MRP1/BCRP suppression have been reported.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Citral is lipophilic, volatile, chemically unstable, and rapidly metabolized. Animal disposition studies indicate extensive gastrointestinal absorption but rapid conversion to oxidized, reduced, and conjugated metabolites, with little persistence of unchanged citral in circulation and predominantly urinary elimination of metabolites. Thus, good absorption does not imply high systemic exposure to intact citral. Encapsulation with polymers, cyclodextrins, lipid systems, or nanoparticles has been investigated to improve stability and effective exposure. Human pharmacokinetic data defining circulating intact citral after therapeutic oral dosing remain limited.
-citral is chemically unstable, especially in acidic aqueous systems, and that its stability can be improved by partitioning it into an oil phase, micelles, emulsions, cyclodextrins, or related delivery systems.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anticancer experiments use citral concentrations in the tens to hundreds of micromolar range, commonly about 20–200 µM, or relatively concentrated lemongrass extracts. These exposures cannot presently be assumed to be attainable as sustained concentrations of intact citral in human plasma after tea, food, or conventional oral supplementation because parent citral undergoes very rapid metabolism. Whole-extract studies also cannot be quantitatively translated into equivalent systemic citral exposure. Consequently, the strongest mechanistic findings should be considered preclinical and concentration-dependent.

Clinical evidence status: Preclinical. Anticancer activity is supported by numerous cancer-cell studies and several animal xenograft experiments using citral or lemongrass extracts. Chemosensitization is also preclinical. Human studies of lemongrass tea and topical essential oil provide limited tolerability and non-oncology clinical information, but there is no established human anticancer efficacy and no approved oncology indication for citral or lemongrass extract. Citral is permitted as a food flavoring agent and is listed by the FDA under food-use regulations; this regulatory status does not establish therapeutic anticancer efficacy. Safety is concentration- and formulation-dependent: concentrated citral and essential oils can be cytotoxic or genotoxic in cultured normal cells, while some cancer models demonstrate relative tumor-cell selectivity.

Mechanistic Effects of Lemongrass Extract and Citral

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 ROS and oxidative stress ↑ ROS, ↓ GSH ↔ or ↑ ROS (dose-dependent) R Oxidative damage and apoptosis One of the best-supported anticancer mechanisms of citral and lemongrass preparations. ROS elevation precedes mitochondrial dysfunction in several cancer models; antioxidant effects can occur in non-cancer systems, making modulation context-dependent.
2 Mitochondrial apoptosis ↓ membrane potential, ↑ Bax, ↓ Bcl-2, ↓ Bcl-xL, ↑ caspase-3 ↔ or weaker effect (model-dependent) R/G Intrinsic apoptosis Demonstrated in colorectal, leukemia, breast, ovarian, and other cancer models. ROS frequently acts upstream of mitochondrial depolarization.
3 ALDH1A3 and cancer stem cells ↓ ALDH1A3 activity Not established R/G ↓ clonogenicity and stem-cell-associated tumor growth Citral directly inhibits ALDH1A3-associated activity and reduced growth of ALDH1A3-driven breast tumor models. Potential relevance to cancer stem cells and drug resistance.
4 Tubulin and microtubules ↓ tubulin polymerization, ↑ microtubule depolymerization ↓ (high concentration or exposure-dependent) P/R Microtubule disruption and proliferation inhibition Citral can directly disrupt microtubules and inhibit polymerization. This is not inherently cancer-selective and is therefore an efficacy and toxicity mechanism.
5 MARK4 ↓ MARK4 Not established R Antiproliferative signaling and microtubule regulation Biochemical binding and kinase inhibition studies support MARK4 as a direct citral target associated with its microtubule-related activity.
6 p53 apoptotic signaling ↑ p53 phosphorylation and activity Not established R/G ↑ Bax, PUMA, NOXA and apoptosis ROS-dependent p53 activation contributes strongly to apoptosis in p53-competent cells. p53-deficient cells may instead depend more heavily on ER-stress mechanisms.
7 AKT and PI3K survival signaling ↓ AKT, ↓ PI3K signaling Not established R/G Reduced survival and proliferation Reported particularly in melanoma and other cancer-cell systems; importance varies by cancer type.
8 ERK signaling ↓ ERK1/2 Not established R/G Reduced proliferative signaling Observed alongside AKT suppression and oxidative stress in melanoma models.
9 NF-κB survival signaling ↓ NF-κB Context-dependent R/G Reduced prosurvival and inflammatory signaling NF-κB suppression has been reported in melanoma and leukemia models and may contribute to apoptosis.
10 Cell cycle ↑ G0/G1 or G1/S arrest ↔ or less affected (model-dependent) G ↓ proliferation Phase of arrest varies with cell type, citral concentration, and whether purified citral or whole lemongrass extract is used.
11 Endoplasmic reticulum stress ↑ CHOP, ↑ ATF4, ↑ phospho-eIF2α, ↑ GADD45 Not established R/G Stress-associated growth inhibition and apoptosis Especially relevant in p53-deficient models where ER stress may compensate for reduced p53-mediated apoptotic signaling.
12 Autophagy ↑ (context-dependent) Not established G Stress response contributing to cytotoxicity Autophagy-associated proteins including ATG5 have been altered after citral treatment; whether autophagy is lethal or adaptive is model-dependent.
13 Chemosensitization ↑ Potential toxicity sparing in selected models G Enhanced chemotherapy response Lemongrass extract or citral has enhanced responses to FOLFOX-associated drugs, paclitaxel, docetaxel, doxorubicin, and other agents in preclinical studies. Clinical confirmation is absent.
14 Drug efflux and multidrug resistance ↓ MDR1, ↓ MRP1, ↓ BCRP, ↑ intracellular doxorubicin Not established G Reduced multidrug resistance Lemongrass oil and citral increased doxorubicin accumulation in resistant cancer-cell models. Whole oil and purified citral are not necessarily equivalent.
15 Drug metabolism signaling ↓ PXR, ↓ CYP3A4, ↓ GST (model-dependent) Drug-metabolizing enzymes can also be altered G Potential alteration of chemotherapy disposition Potentially contributes to chemosensitization but also raises a possible drug-interaction concern. Rat studies demonstrate modulation of hepatic xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes at high citral or lemongrass-oil doses.
16 Clinical Translation Constraint Preclinical activity Limited selectivity at sufficiently high exposure G Low parent-drug exposure and uncertain therapeutic window Citral is rapidly metabolized, volatile, and chemically unstable. Many effective in-vitro concentrations likely exceed sustained systemic concentrations of intact citral achievable through ordinary oral intake. Nanoparticle and other delivery systems improve experimental exposure but are not established cancer treatments.

TSF: P: 0–30 min    R: 30 min–3 hr    G: >3 hr
AntiBio, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial activity: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:

Antibiotic / antimicrobial activity: The ability of a substance to suppress or kill microorganisms, especially bacteria, by disrupting microbial survival, growth, biofilm formation, cell-wall integrity, membrane function, protein synthesis, nucleic-acid synthesis, quorum sensing, or virulence.

Natural Products that might have antimicrobial properties

Natural supplement or product Principal constituents Potential antimicrobial activity Evidence assessment Reference
Garlic
Allium sativum		 Allicin, ajoene and diallyl sulfides Antibacterial and antifungal activity, with some antiviral and antiparasitic effects reported in laboratory studies. Extensive laboratory evidence, but insufficient clinical evidence to use garlic as a treatment for established infections. Tesfaye A. Revealing the therapeutic uses of garlic and its potential for drug discovery. Scientific review.
Berberine Berberine isoquinoline alkaloid May damage bacterial membranes, inhibit efflux pumps, interfere with nucleic-acid and protein synthesis, and inhibit biofilm formation. Strong preclinical evidence and limited indication-specific clinical evidence. Poor oral bioavailability and drug interactions limit its use as a general antimicrobial. Berberine as a therapeutic alkaloid against ESKAPE and multidrug-resistant bacteria: a comprehensive review.
Cranberry extract
Vaccinium macrocarpon		 A-type proanthocyanidins Primarily reduces adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, to urinary epithelial cells. May reduce recurrent urinary tract infections in selected populations. It is preventive rather than a reliable treatment for an active UTI. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cranberry—Usefulness and Safety.
Probiotics
Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Saccharomyces boulardii 		Live microorganisms; effects are strain-specific Competitive exclusion of pathogens, production of bacteriocins, inhibition of pathogen adhesion and restoration of microbiome function. Some human evidence for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and selected gastrointestinal or vaginal indications. Results cannot be generalized from one strain to another. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Probiotics—Health Professional Fact Sheet.
Medical-grade honey / Manuka honey Methylglyoxal, hydrogen peroxide, defensin-1, organic acids and high osmolarity Broad topical antibacterial and antibiofilm activity; also supports autolytic debridement and wound healing. Clinically relevant primarily as a standardized, medical-grade topical wound product. Ordinary food honey is not equivalent. Jull AB et al. Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane systematic review.
Oregano oil
Origanum vulgare		 Carvacrol and thymol Antibacterial, antifungal and antibiofilm activity, largely through disruption of microbial membranes. Strong laboratory activity, but inadequate human evidence for oral treatment of infections. Concentrated oil can cause irritation. Chemical composition, biological activity and potential uses of oregano and oregano essential oil: a review.
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris		 Thymol and carvacrol Antibacterial, antifungal and antibiofilm activity through membrane damage and altered microbial permeability. Better established as a constituent of topical antiseptic and oral-care formulations than as an oral treatment for systemic infection. PubMed literature: thyme, thymol and antimicrobial activity.
Tea tree oil
Melaleuca alternifolia		 Terpinen-4-ol and related monoterpenes Topical antibacterial and antifungal activity with some antiviral laboratory activity. Some clinical evidence for topical acne and fungal skin conditions. Tea tree oil is toxic when swallowed and may cause contact dermatitis. Carson CF et al. Melaleuca alternifolia oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties.
Echinacea
Echinacea species		 Alkamides, caffeic-acid derivatives, polysaccharides and glycoproteins Primarily immunomodulatory; relatively weak and inconsistent direct antimicrobial activity. Evidence for preventing or shortening respiratory infections is inconsistent and preparation-dependent. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Echinacea—Usefulness and Safety.
Elderberry
Sambucus nigra		 Anthocyanins, flavonols and phenolic acids Antiviral effects have been reported in cell-culture and preclinical studies, including interference with viral entry or replication. Small human trials have examined respiratory symptoms, but evidence remains insufficient to establish treatment of influenza or other viral infections. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Elderberry.
Curcumin / turmeric
Curcuma longa		 Curcumin and related curcuminoids Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antibiofilm activity through multiple membrane, enzyme and signalling effects. Predominantly laboratory evidence. Poor aqueous solubility and low systemic bioavailability are major clinical limitations. Moghadamtousi SZ et al. A review on antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity of curcumin.
Ginger
Zingiber officinale		 Gingerols, shogaols and zingerone Antibacterial and antifungal activity, including possible inhibition of microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. Primarily laboratory evidence; there is little direct clinical evidence that ginger supplements treat infections. PubMed literature: ginger, gingerols and antimicrobial activity.
Clove
Syzygium aromaticum		 Eugenol and eugenyl acetate Antibacterial, antifungal and local antiseptic activity, principally through membrane and protein disruption. Relevant mainly to topical, food-preservation and dental applications. Evidence for systemic infection treatment is insufficient. PubMed literature: clove, eugenol and antimicrobial activity.
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum species		 Cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and cinnamic acid derivatives Antibacterial, antifungal and antibiofilm activity; may alter microbial membranes and quorum-sensing pathways. Predominantly laboratory evidence. Cassia cinnamon can contribute substantial coumarin exposure when consumed in concentrated amounts. PubMed literature: cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde and antimicrobial activity.
Neem
Azadirachta indica		 Nimbidin, nimbin, nimbolide, azadirachtin and other limonoids Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antibiofilm effects have been reported. Some topical and dental research exists, but systemic clinical evidence is inadequate. Oral neem preparations have important safety concerns. PubMed literature: Azadirachta indica and antimicrobial activity.
Black seed
Nigella sativa		 Thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone and related volatile compounds Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and possible antiviral activity. Considerable laboratory research but limited, heterogeneous clinical evidence for infectious diseases. PubMed literature: Nigella sativa, thymoquinone and antimicrobial activity.
Green tea extract
Camellia sinensis		 Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and other catechins Antibacterial, antiviral and antibiofilm activity; may damage membranes, inhibit microbial enzymes and enhance some antibiotics. Some localized oral-health evidence, but limited evidence for treating systemic infections. Concentrated extracts may cause liver injury in susceptible individuals. PubMed literature: EGCG, green tea and antimicrobial activity.
Licorice root
Glycyrrhiza species		 Glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, liquiritigenin and other flavonoids Antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects have been reported in laboratory and preclinical studies. Limited clinical antimicrobial evidence. Glycyrrhizin can cause hypertension, hypokalemia, fluid retention and clinically important drug interactions. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Licorice Root.
Andrographis
Andrographis paniculata		 Andrographolide and related diterpenoid lactones Immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and possible antiviral or antibacterial activity. Some evidence for modest symptom reduction in uncomplicated respiratory infections, but this does not establish direct pathogen eradication. PubMed literature: Andrographis and respiratory infections.
Pelargonium sidoides Proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids and oxygenated coumarin derivatives Possible antiviral, antibacterial anti-adhesive and immunomodulatory activity. Some human evidence for modest symptom improvement in acute bronchitis and selected respiratory infections. It is not a substitute for antibiotics when bacterial treatment is indicated. Timmer A et al. Pelargonium sidoides extract for acute respiratory tract infections. Cochrane systematic review.
Monolaurin
Glycerol monolaurate		 Monolaurin, a monoester derived from lauric acid May disrupt lipid membranes and interfere with signalling or virulence in certain bacteria and enveloped viruses. Predominantly laboratory and animal evidence. There is insufficient clinical evidence to recommend oral monolaurin for infections. PubMed literature: glycerol monolaurate and antimicrobial activity.
Caprylic acid Octanoic acid, an eight-carbon medium-chain fatty acid Antifungal and membrane-disrupting activity, particularly against Candida species, has been reported in vitro. Insufficient human evidence for treating candidiasis or systemic fungal infection. Marketing claims commonly exceed the evidence. PubMed literature: caprylic acid and Candida.
Olive leaf extract
Olea europaea		 Oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and elenolic-acid derivatives Antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity has been observed in laboratory studies. Preliminary evidence only; clinical trials have not established it as a treatment for infectious disease. PubMed literature: olive leaf, oleuropein and antimicrobial activity.
Goldenseal
Hydrastis canadensis		 Hydrastine, canadine and berberine Extracts and individual alkaloids show antibacterial activity in laboratory studies. There is no good clinical evidence that goldenseal treats human infections. Product composition, absorption and drug interactions are important limitations. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Goldenseal.
Sweet wormwood / artemisinin
Artemisia annua 		Artemisinin and related sesquiterpene lactones Artemisinin derivatives are potent antimalarial agents. Additional antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic effects are being studied. Artemisinin-based combination therapies are established medicines, not ordinary supplements. Herbal preparations should not replace standardized malaria treatment because dose variability can promote treatment failure and resistance. World Health Organization: Guidelines for malaria.

Evidence interpretation

  • Clinical evidence: Effects have been studied in human participants, but usually for a specific preparation, route, dose and indication.
  • Preclinical evidence: Activity has mainly been demonstrated in cell culture, microbial cultures or animal models.
  • Anti-adhesive or probiotic activity: The product may reduce colonization or pathogen attachment without directly killing the microorganism.
  • Topical evidence: Results from topical use cannot be assumed to apply to an orally administered supplement.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
8200- LGE,    Chemical Properties and Therapeutic Potential of Citral, a Monoterpene Isolated from Lemongrass
- Review, Var, NA
*AntiBio↑, *antiOx↑, *AntiCan↑, *AntiDiabetic↑, *Inflam↓, Dose↝, BioAv↝,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

BioAv↝, 1,   Dose↝, 1,  
Total Targets: 2

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


NA, unassigned(tgid=0) ⓘ

AntiBio↑, 1,  

Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

antiOx↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

Inflam↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1,   AntiDiabetic↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 5

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: AntiBio, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial activity
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:398  Target#:1483  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

Home Page