Vol. 2026 No. 4 (2026)
Articles

Impact of Phyllanthus emblica extract on A549 lung cancer cell malignancy via Akt/mTOR pathway

PDF
  • Jennifer Lopez,
  • Diana Harris
Jennifer Lopez
Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, United Kingdom
Diana Harris
Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, United Kingdom

Published 31-07-2026

Keywords

  • Phyllanthus emblicaextract,
  • Akt/mTOR signaling pathway,
  • Lung cancer,
  • Invasion,
  • Migration,
  • Apoptosis
    • ...More
    Less

Copyright (c) 2026 Cambridge Science Advance

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
J. Lopez and D. . Harris, “Impact of Phyllanthus emblica extract on A549 lung cancer cell malignancy via Akt/mTOR pathway”, Camb. Sci. Adv., vol. 2026, no. 4, pp. 18–26, Jul. 2026, doi: 10.62852/csa/2026/277.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of Phyllanthus emblicaextract on the malignant biological behaviors of human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells via the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway. Methods: Human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells were selected and divided into a control group (blank treatment), low-dose Phyllanthus emblicaextract group (50 μ g/mL), medium-dose group (100 μ g/mL), high-dose group (200 μg/mL), and a positive control group (100 nmol/L rapamycin). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Transwell assays and wound healing assays were utilized to assess cell invasion and migration capacities. Western blotting was employed to detect the protein expression levels of Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, and p-mTOR. Additionally, a mouse xenograft model was established using A549 cells from each group to monitor tumor growth dynamics and survival rates. Results: Compared with the control group, tumor volume and weight in the low-, medium-, and high-dose extract groups and the positive control group were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (all P< 0.05). Furthermore, cell viability, invasive and migratory abilities, as well as the protein expression levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR in the extract-treated groups and the positive control group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P< 0.05). These inhibitory effects were more pronounced in the positive control and high-dose groups compared to the medium-dose group, and in the medium-dose group compared to the low-dose group (all P< 0.05). Conversely, the apoptosis rate of A549 cells increased in the extract-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner (all P< 0.05). Conclusion: Phyllanthus emblicaextract inhibits the activity of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This inhibition interferes with the invasion and migration of lung cancer A549 cells, suppresses subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice, and induces cellular apoptosis.

PDF

References

  1. Wang H Z, Zhang H, Guo X H, et al. Relationship between serum immunoglobulin, Foxp3 levels and the therapeutic effect of nivolumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer [J].
  2. Oudkerk M, Liu S, Heuvelmans MA, Walter JE, Field JK. Lung cancer LDCT screening and mortality reduction - evidence, pitfalls and future perspectives[J]. Nat Rev Clin Oncol, 2021, 18(3): 135-151. doi: 10.1038/s41571-020-00432-6
  3. Li H, Qiu Z X, Xu W J, et al. Luteolin inhibits the proliferation of lung cancer A549 cells by increasing ROS production and downregulating the AKT/mTOR pathway and HO-1 protein expression [J]. Journal of Southern Medical University, 2024, 44(12): 2367-2374.
  4. Cui Q D, Lyu G Y, Zhang J J, et al. Cucurbitacin B induces autophagy in non-small cell lung cancer cells via the AKT/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways [J]. Modern Oncology, 2024, 32(16): 2929-2936.
  5. Innets B, Thongsom S, Petsri K, Racha S, Yokoya M, Moriue S, et al. Akt/mTOR targeting activity of resveratrol derivatives in non-small cell lung cancer[J]. Molecules, 2022, 27(23): 8268. doi: 10.3390/molecules27238268
  6. Yang P R, Jiang L, Liu Y F, et al. Molecular characteristics and therapeutic progress of small cell transformation in non-small cell lung cancer [J]. Journal of Cancer Control and Treatment, 2025, 38(1): 75-81.
  7. Chen X M, Yang L, Chen X M, et al. Intervention effect of Phyllanthus emblicasolution oral spray on patients with radiation-induced xerostomia in nasopharyngeal carcinoma [J]. Journal of Nursing Science, 2024, 39(18): 53-56.
  8. Zhu Y H, Meng X S, Bao Y R, et al. Inhibitory effect of total phenolic acids and total flavonoids from Phyllanthus emblicaon hepatoma cell proliferation and its regulatory effect on immune function [J]. Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae, 2012, 18(3): 132-135.
  9. Guan Z H, Shan Z Y, Wang X, et al. Network pharmacology study of Phyllanthus emblicabased on "component-target-pathway" [J]. Chinese Journal of Medical Library and Information Science, 2021, 30(9): 13-23.
  10. Detterbeck FC, Woodard GA, Badera S, Kim AW, Tanoue LT, Boffa DJ, et al. The proposed ninth edition TNM classification of lung cancer[J]. Chest, 2024, 166(4): 882-895. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.04.036
  11. Liu X J, Yao R, Yang X Z, et al. Comparison of therapeutic effects between thoracoscopic pulmonary subsegmentectomy and segmentectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer [J]. Shaanxi Medical Journal, 2024, 53(8): 1069-1072.
  12. Xia Y Z, Huo Y P, Wang L Z, et al. Protective effect of Phyllanthus emblicaextract against high glucose-induced injury in PC12 cells via miR-34a [J]. Journal of Toxicology, 2024, 38(1): 43-50.
  13. Liu X H, Lyu Q, Ji X, et al. Chemical constituents of Phyllanthus emblica[J]. Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine, 2023, 45(2): 458-462.
  14. Yin K H, Luo X M, Ding Y, et al. Research progress on hepatoprotective effects and mechanisms of Phyllanthus emblicaand its active components [J]. Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs, 2022, 53(1): 295-307.
  15. Zhang H Y, Liu H, Zhu B J, et al. Effect of Phyllanthus emblicaextract on the biological behavior of lung cancer A549 cells by regulating the LINC01772/miR-153 axis [J]. Progress in Modern Biomedicine, 2024, 24(5): 841-848.
  16. Li Q, Li J, Huang S Y, et al. Pharmacodynamic comparison of different extracts and effective fractions of Reineckia carneacombined with Phyllanthus emblicain Lewis lung carcinoma mouse models [J]. Asia-Pacific Traditional Medicine, 2018, 14(10): 18-21.
  17. Huang X W, Liu W. Screening of anti-proliferative components of Miao medicine Reineckia carneacombined with Phyllanthus emblicaagainst Lewis lung cancer cells [J]. Guiding Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, 2023, 29(11): 6-10.
  18. Iksenpothongsrisit S, Pongrakhananon V. Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in lung cancer: An update regarding potential drugs and natural products[J]. Molecules, 2021, 26(13): 4100. doi: 10.3390/molecules26134100
  19. Liu H, Guo W, Wang T, Cao P, Zou T, Peng Y, et al. CD36 inhibition reduces non-small-cell lung cancer development through AKT-mTOR pathway[J]. Cell Biol Toxicol, 2024, 40(1): 10. doi: 10.1007/s10565-024-09848-7
  20. Xiang Y, Han J, Wu Q Z. Chrysin induces autophagy in lung cancer cells by promoting oxidative stress-mediated inactivation of the AKT/mTOR pathway [J]. Journal of Clinical Pulmonary Medicine, 2024, 29(7): 1055-1065.
  21. Huo Y S, Xu X H, Ma X M, et al. GINS1 enhances glycolysis, proliferation, and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells by activating the Notch/PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway [J]. Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer, 2024, 27(10): 735-744.
  22. Yang P, Qian J, Chen W F, et al. Effect of luteolin on apoptosis and autophagy of human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells [J]. Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine, 2022, 44(8): 2667-2671.
  23. Lin Z H, Lu J, Wang K S. Mechanism of quercetin on 5-FU-induced drug resistance and autophagy regulation in colorectal cancer SW480 cells [J]. Shaanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2021, 42(10): 1338-1343.
  24. Wang X R, Li L L, Jiang T T, et al. Exploring the molecular mechanism of Phyllanthus emblicain treating hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking [J]. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine on Liver Diseases, 2022, 32(2): 154-160.
  25. Cao X T, Wu B Y, Chen J. Eleutheroside B mediates apoptosis and autophagy in lung cancer cells via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway [J]. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 2023, 48(24): 6693-6701.