The use of sophorolipids as anti-angiogenic therapy for cancer treatment

Shazmin Kithur Mohamed

Sophorolipids are of growing commercial interest because they can be easily produced in extreme1y high yields from cheap raw materials, such as vegetable oils, n-alkanes and industrial waste products.

Abstract

Sophorolipids are of growing commercial interest because they can be easily produced in extreme1y high yields from cheap raw materials, such as vegetable oils, n-alkanes and industrial waste products. Sophorolipids have been reported to possess bacteriostatic properties, hence they are used in cosmetics and deodorants. They are also used in the manufacturing of detergents (Furstner A et.al.,2000). Studies have shown that Sophorolipids that have a single double bond in their fatty acid chain have anticancer activity (Dey G et. al., 2014). Recently, Chen et al. have demonstrated that sophorolipids had an effect against hepatocellular carcinoma. In those studies, sophorolipids were found to induce apoptosis when cultured with human liver cancer cells (H7402). Sophorolipids exist in a natural mixture, and, although there have been reports of their effects against malignancy, this is the first study to examine sophorolipids against any cancer cell line. These anticancer responses were dose- and derivative-dependent and likely kill cancer cells by necrosis.

Keywords: Sophorolipids, Cancer, Angiogenesis

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