Properties of realgar bioleaching using an extremely acidophilic bacterium and its antitumor mechanism as an anticancer agent

• Published in: Biological research Vol. 50; no. 1; p. 17
• Main Authors: Chen, Peng, Xu, Ruixiang, Yan, Lei, Wu, Zhengrong, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Wenbin, Wang, Xin, Xie, Qinjian, Li, Hongyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 22.05.2017; BioMed Central; Sociedad de Biología de Chile; BMC
• Subjects: A. ferrooxidans; Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans - metabolism; Analysis; Anticancer effect; Antimitotic agents; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antitumor activity; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Arsenic; Arsenicals - chemistry; Arsenicals - metabolism; Arsenicals - pharmacology; Bacterial leaching; Bioavailability; Bioleaching; Biological activity; BIOLOGY; Caenorhabditis elegans; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chinese medicine; Dosage and administration; Drug resistance; Drug Synergism; Heavy metals; Humans; Innovations; K562 Cells; Kinases; Leukemia; Nematodes; Poisons; RBS; Realgar; Review; Sulfide; Sulfides - chemistry; Sulfides - metabolism; Sulfides - pharmacology; Technology application; Toxicological Phenomena; Trends; Tumor cells; Realgar; Anticancer effect; Bioleaching; RBS; A. ferrooxidans
• ISSN: 0717-6287; 0716-9760; 0717-6287
• DOI: 10.1186/s40659-017-0122-y

Realgar is a naturally occurring arsenic sulfide (or Xionghuang, in Chinese). It contains over 90% tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide (As S ). Currently, realgar has been confirmed the antitumor activities, both in vitro and in vivo, of realgar extracted using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans). Bioleaching, a new technology to greatly improve the use rate of arsenic extraction from realgar using bacteria, is a novel methodology that addressed a limitation of the traditional method for realgar preparation. The present systematic review reports on the research progress in realgar bioleaching and its antitumor mechanism as an anticancer agent. A total of 93 research articles that report on the biological activity of extracts from realgar using bacteria and its preparation were presented in this review. The realgar bioleaching solution (RBS) works by inducing apoptosis when it is used to treat tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. When it is used to treat animal model organisms in vivo, such as mice and Caenorhabditis elegans, tumor tissues grew more slowly, with mass necrosis. Meanwhile, the agent also showed obvious inhibition of tumor cell growth. Bioleaching technology greatly improves the utilization of realgar and is a novel methodology to improve the traditional method.