Anticancer actions of Humulus lupulus (Hops) by Joseph J Collins, RN, ND
Hops contains a number of compounds that have anticancer actions [1], [2], [3. It may prevent breast cancer by inhibiting estrogen-induced malignant transformation [4] and decrease proliferation (growth and division of cancer cells) and induce apoptosis (cancer cell death) [5]. Even though hops extracts can decrease menopause symptoms, hops does not increase estrogen levels, and may in fact help control estrogen dominance by slowing down estrogen production to decrease cancer risks [6]. The antiproliferative and anticancer effects of hops extract can provide preventive activity against breast and ovarian cancer in humans [7]. In addition to breast cancer prevention, hops extracts may also provide anticancer actions against colon [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], larynx cancer [13], liver cancer[14], [15], melanoma [16], and even prostate cancer [16], [17], [18]. Hops extracts may also increase the effectiveness of other anticancer agents [19], [20].
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References
To review the PubMed listing of any reference, go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ and enter the PubMed PMID number at the end of the reference.
[1] Blanquer-Rosselló MM, Oliver J, Valle A, Roca P. Effect of xanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin on MCF-7 breast cancer cells oxidative stress and mitochondrial complexes expression. J Cell Biochem. 2013 Dec;114(12):2785-94. doi: 10.1002/jcb.24627. PubMed PMID: 23836544.
[2] Saugspier M, Dorn C, Czech B, Gehrig M, Heilmann J, Hellerbrand C. Hop bitter acids inhibit tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Oncol Rep. 2012 Oct;28(4):1423-8. doi: 10.3892/or.2012.1925. Epub 2012 Jul 20. PubMed PMID: 22825405. [3] Farag MA, Wessjohann LA. Cytotoxic effect of commercial Humulus lupulus L. (hop) preparations - In comparison to its metabolomic fingerprint. J Adv Res. 2013 Jul;4(4):417-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2012.07.006. Epub 2012 Sep 4. PubMed PMID: 25685448.
[4] Hemachandra LP, Madhubhani P, Chandrasena R, Esala P, Chen SN, Main M, Lankin DC, Scism RA, Dietz BM, Pauli GF, Thatcher GR, Bolton JL. Hops (Humulus lupulus) inhibits oxidative estrogen metabolism and estrogen-induced malignant transformation in human mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A). Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2012 Jan;5(1):73-81. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0348. Epub 2011 Oct 13. PubMed PMID: 21997247.
[5] Monteiro R, Faria A, Azevedo I, Calhau C. Modulation of breast cancer cell survival by aromatase inhibiting hop (Humulus lupulus L.) flavonoids. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Jun-Jul;105(1-5):124-30. Epub 2007 Jul 23. PubMed PMID:17643984.
[6] Monteiro R, Becker H, Azevedo I, Calhau C. Effect of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) flavonoids on aromatase (estrogen synthase) activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Apr 19;54(8):2938-43. PubMed PMID: 16608212.
[7] Miranda CL, Stevens JF, Helmrich A, Henderson MC, Rodriguez RJ, Yang YH, Deinzer ML, Barnes DW, Buhler DR. Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of prenylated flavonoids from hops (Humulus lupulus) in human cancer cell lines. Food Chem Toxicol. 1999 Apr;37(4):271-85. PubMed PMID: 10418944.
[8] Wang Y, Chen Y, Wang J, Chen J, Aggarwal BB, Pang X, Liu M. Xanthohumol, a prenylated chalcone derived from hops, suppresses cancer cell invasion through inhibiting the expression of CXCR4 chemokine receptor. Curr Mol Med. 2012 Feb;12(2):153-62. PubMed PMID: 22172099.
[9] Diller RA, Riepl HM, Rose O, Frias C, Henze G, Prokop A. Ability of prenylflavanones present in hops to induce apoptosis in a human Burkitt lymphoma cell line. Planta Med. 2007 Jul;73(8):755-61. PubMed PMID: 17715491.
[10] Allsopp P, Possemiers S, Campbell D, Gill C, Rowland I. A comparison of the anticancer properties of isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin using in vitro models of colon cancer. Biofactors. 2013 Jul-Aug;39(4):441-7. doi: 10.1002/biof.1084. Epub 2013 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 23361834.
[11] Chung WG, Miranda CL, Stevens JF, Maier CS. Hop proanthocyanidins induce apoptosis, protein carbonylation, and cytoskeleton disorganization in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells via reactive oxygen species. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Apr;47(4):827-36. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2009.01.015. PubMed PMID: 1927128.
[12] Pan L, Becker H, Gerhäuser C. Xanthohumol induces apoptosis in cultured 40-16 human colon cancer cells by activation of the death receptor- and mitochondrial pathway. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2005 Sep;49(9):837-43. PubMed PMID: 15995977.
[13] Sławińska-Brych A, Król SK, Dmoszyńska-Graniczka M, Zdzisińska B, Stepulak A, Gagoś M. Xanthohumol inhibits cell cycle progression and proliferation of larynx cancer cells in vitro. Chem Biol Interact. 2015 Aug 20;240:110-118. doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2015.08.008. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26297991.
[14] Saugspier M, Dorn C, Czech B, Gehrig M, Heilmann J, Hellerbrand C. Hop bitter acids inhibit tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Oncol Rep. 2012 Oct;28(4):1423-8. doi: 10.3892/or.2012.1925. Epub 2012 Jul 20. PubMed PMID: 22825405.
[15] Ho YC, Liu CH, Chen CN, Duan KJ, Lin MT. Inhibitory effects of xanthohumol from hops (Humulus lupulus L.) on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines.Phytother Res. 2008 Nov;22(11):1465-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2481. PubMed PMID: 18814205.
[16] Koo JH, Kim HT, Yoon HY, Kwon KB, Choi IW, Jung SH, Kim HU, Park BH, Park JW. Effect of xanthohumol on melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells. Exp Mol Med. 2008 Jun 30;40(3):313-9. PubMed PMID: 18587269.
[17] Delmulle L, Vanden Berghe T, Keukeleire DD, Vandenabeele P. Treatment of PC-3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells by prenylflavonoids from hop (Humulus lupulus L.)induces a caspase-independent form of cell death. Phytother Res. 2008Feb;22(2):197-203. PubMed PMID: 17726738.
[18] Delmulle L, Bellahcène A, Dhooge W, Comhaire F, Roelens F, Huvaere K, Heyerick A, Castronovo V, De Keukeleire D. Anti-proliferative properties of prenylated flavonoids from hops (Humulus lupulus L.) in human prostate cancer cell lines.Phytomedicine. 2006 Nov;13(9-10):732-4. Epub 2006 May 5. PubMed PMID: 16678392.
[19] Colgate EC, Miranda CL, Stevens JF, Bray TM, Ho E. Xanthohumol, a prenylflavonoid derived from hops induces apoptosis and inhibits NF-kappaB activation in prostate epithelial cells. Cancer Lett. 2007 Feb 8;246(1-2):201-9.Epub 2006 Mar 24. PubMed PMID: 16563612.
[19] Miyashita M, Sadzuka Y. Effect of linalool as a component of Humulus lupulus on doxorubicin-induced antitumor activity. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Mar;53:174-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2012.11.035. Epub 2012 Dec 7. PubMed PMID: 23220514.
[20] Wesołowska O, Wiśniewski J, Sroda K, Krawczenko A, Bielawska-Pohl A, Paprocka M, Duś D, Michalak K. 8-Prenylnaringenin is an inhibitor of multidrug resistance-associated transporters, P-glycoprotein and MRP1. Eur J Pharmacol.2010 Oct 10;644(1-3):32-40. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.06.069. Epub 2010 Jul 13.PubMed PMID: 20633549.